Horizon State, the company behind the HST token, has been contracted to provide the technology and support for a blockchain-based election by the South Australia Government, according to quotes attributed to the CEO. Nimo Namaani is quoted as saying that he was “honoured they [the South Australian Government] chose us to provide the technology” in a move that represents a further step towards adoption for the token after prior use in New Zealand and potential use in India.
Voting on the Blockchain
Horizon State allows entities to enlist the use of their blockchain and the HST token to run a vote of any kind, from a local club choosing a new secretary to a government elections. Tokens are issued to all those eligible to vote, with all votes recorded and publicly viewable on the blockchain whilst being 100% anonymous. The deal with the South Australian Government comes on the back of positive comments from South Australian Premier Steven Marshall on the subject of blockchain:
We believe blockchain is going to be important into the future as we manage global supply chains. We want to make South Australia the blockchain capital of the country! Blockchain is an exciting technology that has an unparalleled potential to influence every industry… the South Australian Government recognizes this potential and is working to create the right environment for blockchain enterprises to thrive.
DTA Advises Caution
Marshall’s optimism was not matched however by the thoughts of the Digital Transformation Agency (DTA), who recently publishing the findings of its $700,000 research program to examine the potential of blockchain and distributed ledger technology in government. Their report was somewhat cautionary, as expressed in their summary:
Our team found that blockchain is still an emerging technology and, when applied to various pilots or considered against alternative technologies, gaps become evident across both the technical and business facets of its implementation. The limitations of blockchain should be carefully weighed against any unique benefits provided by a blockchain-specific solution for government.
It seems that Marshall and other blockchain supporters might face an uphill battle, in the short term at least, to get the technology front and center of South Australia’s technological future.
