Elections in many African countries feel like rituals of suspicion. Voters stand in long queues, cast their ballots, and watch as the results trickle in. Then the usual disaster unfolds: counts are delayed, servers go down, or figures mysteriously change between local tallies and national announcements. This unending cycle has bred deep voter apathy. People now say, “We don’t think our votes really count.” This is not mere speculation; the numbers tell a clearer story: Nigeria's 2023 presidential election recorded just 27% voter turnout – the lowest in 44 years. (Chatham House, March 2023)
Only 16% of registered voters participated in Comoros' 2024 presidential election. (The East African, 2024)
In 2024's "super election year," at least 200 million Africans were registered to vote across 20 elections, yet turnout and trust remained persistently low. (UNDP Africa, 2024) Nigeria's 2023 presidential election recorded just 27% voter turnout – the lowest in 44 years. (Chatham House, March 2023) Nigeria's 2023 presidential election recorded just 27% voter turnout Nigeria's 2023 presidential election recorded just 27% voter turnout Only 16% of registered voters participated in Comoros' 2024 presidential election. (The East African, 2024) Only 16% of registered voters participated in Comoros' 2024 presidential election Only 16% of registered voters participated in Comoros' 2024 presidential election In 2024's "super election year," at least 200 million Africans were registered to vote across 20 elections, yet turnout and trust remained persistently low. (UNDP Africa, 2024) In 2024's "super election year," at least 200 million Africans were registered to vote In 2024's "super election year," at least 200 million Africans were registered to vote This growing disinterest in elections is a danger to democracy. The more Africans disengage from voting, the easier it becomes for electoral criminals to manipulate elections. To solve this crisis of mistrust, we need two things: verifiable records and public confidence that those records cannot be altered in secret. This is where blockchain comes in. While blockchain is not a miracle cure for political corruption, it can provide a technical layer of proof: tamper-evident, auditable vote records that citizens and independent observers can verify. blockchain How Blockchain will Change the Electoral Process At its simplest, blockchain is a shared digital ledger. But here’s what makes it different: once information is added, it cannot be changed or erased. The way blockchain works is that instead of data being stored in one central location, it is distributed across many computers. These independent computers are referred to as nodes. And for any information to be added to the blockchain network, it goes through a verification process that requires that the majority of nodes confirm the authenticity of the information. The way blockchain works The way blockchain works This process ensures that no single person, government agency, or organization can tamper with the results unnoticed. Because blockchain data is distributed across many nodes, even coordinated attacks on a single server cannot compromise the integrity of the election. In addition, every entry on this ledger is time-stamped, encrypted, and linked to the one before it, creating a continuous chain of verified information. In practical terms, for an election, this means: Immutable vote records: Every vote is permanently recorded and cannot be changed secretly.
Transparency: Election authorities, political parties, and even citizens can audit the vote tally in real time.
Security: The decentralized nature of blockchain prevents hacking, server failures, or tampering from compromising results.
Accountability: Discrepancies can be traced and verified, reducing suspicion and building public trust. Immutable vote records: Every vote is permanently recorded and cannot be changed secretly. Transparency: Election authorities, political parties, and even citizens can audit the vote tally in real time. Security: The decentralized nature of blockchain prevents hacking, server failures, or tampering from compromising results. Accountability: Discrepancies can be traced and verified, reducing suspicion and building public trust. Blockchain offers something many African elections need: trust backed by evidence, and this idea isn’t just theoretical; Sierra Leone once put it to the test during its national elections. Case Study: Sierra Leone’s Blockchain Experiment Case Study: Sierra Leone’s Blockchain Experiment In March 2018, Sierra Leone saw what was widely reported as the first serious blockchain-involved electoral experiment. A Swiss startup, Agora, participated as an observer, recording provisional vote data from 280 polling stations across the Western part of the country, using a blockchain-enabled system. first serious blockchain-involved electoral experiment first serious blockchain-involved electoral experiment Votes were first cast on paper, counted manually, and then tallied by Agora on a blockchain, with observers able to view results published on a digital ledger. And when the results were in, they were close to what Agora recorded in those polling stations. In addition, these tallies were also made available on Agora’s system, giving a secondary check on the official result. While the pilot was too limited to shift national perception, it demonstrated how blockchain could add a layer of transparency to vote verification. Although the National Electoral Commission (NEC) of Sierra Leone explicitly disavowed that blockchain was used in the official vote tallying process, insisting that all official counting and results were handled via its existing in-house database system, not blockchain, the experiment by Agora made it clear that with proper integration, blockchain could strengthen the transparency and credibility of future elections. National Electoral Commission (NEC) of Sierra Leone explicitly disavowed that blockchain was used in the official vote tallying process National Electoral Commission (NEC) of Sierra Leone explicitly disavowed that blockchain was used in the official vote tallying process Challenges Challenges The idea of using blockchain for elections sounds perfect: transparent, tamper-proof, and decentralized. However, it will be completely delusional to think that implementing blockchain across Africa would be easy. Several obstacles stand in the way of blockchain becoming mainstream in African elections, ranging from infrastructure deficit to limited technical expertise. But the biggest obstacle is the culture around power. Across much of Africa, elections are not just civic events; they are contests for control of state resources. Those who benefit from shady systems are rarely eager to make the process transparent. This resistance means even the best blockchain design would struggle to gain adoption. However, that does not mean there is no chance of blockchain being used for elections in Africa. What the Future Holds What the Future Holds Despite these challenges, the future isn’t bleak. The truth is that change in Africa has rarely started from the top; it often begins with the people, especially the youth. We’ve seen it happen in governance, over and over again, with one of the most recent being Kenyan youth forcing their President to revoke a tax bill. Kenyan youth forcing their President to revoke a tax bill. Kenyan youth forcing their President to revoke a tax bill. And the encouraging part is that young Africans are not just demanding better leadership. They are already using technology to solve problems that institutions have ignored for decades. From fintech startups simplifying cross-border payments to blockchain developers experimenting with land registries and digital identity systems, a new generation is taking charge. They have witnessed how decentralized finance improved access to money, and they will soon demand similar transparency in elections. It is only a matter of time before the idea of using blockchain in elections becomes mainstream. As an African youth, I am genuinely excited about that future. I cannot wait to see the momentum build.

This story contains new, firsthand information uncovered by the writer.

The is an opinion piece based on the author’s POV and does not necessarily reflect the views of HackerNoon.

This story contains AI-generated text. The author has used AI either for research, to generate outlines, or write the text itself. 

How Blockchain Can Improve Elections: Africa as a Case Study

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