Citizen referendum supported by blockchain tech
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W Europe, Bellpuig, Spain, Offline+Online- Where did this use case occur?
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2022- When did this use case occur?
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Aragon DAO, Bellpuig (Government)- Who were some of the key collaborators
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1,095 (31.67% of the eligible voters) people voted- How many people participated?
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Blockchain, Municipality, Urban- What are some keywords?
What was the problem?
The Bellpuig mayor wanted to have citizens’ opinion on whether to construct a crematorium on urban land during the pandemic. Normally, that is not allowed and the mayor didn’t want to just pass an amendment to the law and act without citizens' awareness.
How does the community approach the problem?
The mayor cooperated with Aragon DAO to come up with a fast, technology-based solution. Voters were invited to the referendum per physical post that included a QR code.
What were the results?
31.67% of all eligible voters (more than 1,100 citizens) took part in the local, non-binding referendum; making the first public citizen participation use of blockchain technologies a successful experiment. Further, the Vocdoni team claims this to be the first ever 100% digital public consultation in Spain.
How participatory was it?
Empower
The Bellpuig mayor compromised to proceed according to the referendum’s results irrespective of the turnout. With this, the final decision-making lied in the hands of the public.
What makes this Use Case unique?
'A small municipality employs a high-tech solution based on blockchain for a non-binding referendum, which is what I find most distinctive about this use case. Additionally, it seems that the developers of the solution being from the region facilitates the convergence of seemingly disparate worlds through personal connections. While I cannot verify this, it is still valuable to note that personal connections can occasionally accelerate processes.' -Sem