Microsoft Has Developed The 1st Election Software In The World

It’s understandable when people worry about voting for elections. After all, they are trying to select their policymakers. But ever since Facebook’s Cambridge Analytica scandal, we have been more aware of interference. So, Microsoft has come up with a software kit to release us of our worries.

At the developer conference Build 2019, Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft introduced the “ElectionGuard” SDK, which according to him, will be on Github in the next few months. The kit belongs to the “Defending Democracy” Program of the company whose objective is to safeguard the world’s democratic process using technology.

Nadella says that the SDK can be integrated into off-the-shelf existing hardware or even in some paper ballot systems. So how does it work? Each time a voter cast their ballot, they will receive a unique code to make sure that no one has manipulated their vote at any stage of the voting process. It also ensures that their vote is counted appropriately.

Moreover, the vote tabulation process is still be audited and verified by the government as well as third parties even though the trackers are encrypted for each voter’s choice privacy protection.

In a blog post, a spokesperson of the company wrote:

ElectionGuard isn’t only in charge of securing the process, but it is also meant to provide more information to voters. By the end of the conference, Microsoft also gave a demonstration with a prototype machine. With the portal, right from their houses, voters can look for their local candidates and get to know them more. When they finally have made their choices, they can print a slip that has a distinctive QR code on it. When they reach the voting booth, instead of having to choose a button, they just need to scan the code.

Of course, the kit is a tad too late for India’s election period since it is expected to be fully released for the 2020 presidential elections of the United States.