Political parties

Improving participatory democracy in political parties with Vocdoni

Political Parties are, in many cases, the first site of large-scale collective governance people interact with. Party elections can have as great an impact as national elections but may not be backed by the same level of resources and expertise. For party elections administered in-house, technical issues can have massive consequences on public trust in a Party’s integrity.[1] The ability to demonstrate that an election is fair, transparent, and secure is crucial to maintaining legitimacy and garnering support from a voter base. Political parties can also strengthen their power and reputation by maintaining an active base of support[2] through member engagement strategies like frequent polling, transparent leadership elections, and votes on policy positions.
Vocdoni can be a game-changing solution for Political Parties. Our voting system fulfills the requirements of Party elections by allowing members to vote easily from their own devices, all the while providing high levels of security and transparency worthy of the voters' trust. Our adaptable voting protocol supports several democratic decision-making tools at a low cost, enabling member engagement on policy platform decisions from the same interface. Vocdoni gives Parties access to a thoroughly tested, award-winning voting system that is relied on by many government entities.

The future of voting in political party elections

The most successful Parties are those that engage frequently and directly with members, building trust and showing constituents that their opinions are valued. If a Party is able to demonstrate its commitment to open and transparent member engagement both during and in-between national election cycles, it stands to improve its reputation as a democratic and forward-thinking organization. As online voting tools become more flexible, inexpensive, and easy to use, several democratic processes become increasingly accessible, enabling more direct member participation in party politics.

These include:

Primary elections (party candidate selection)

Party elections to determine which candidate will represent the Party in an official election. Any Party member can choose from a set of candidates from that Party.
Research shows that increasing party members’ level of direct say over candidate choice leads to more successful candidates with higher approval ratings.[3] Vocdoni makes secure and transparent elections cost-accessible so even small Parties can practice representative democracy. The ease of use lowers the barriers to voting for uncommitted Party members who may otherwise only vote in national elections. Vocdoni’s real-time result tracking and universal verifiability ensure that all votes are counted accurately and transparently.

Party leadership elections

Elections to determine the leadership of a political Party. Members choose from a set of candidates for positions ranging from local Party administrators to national executives.
Vocdoni can be used to organize elections at any scale, enabling the same interface to be used to vote for local, regional, and national Party officials. As with candidate elections, giving Party members a say over leadership roles can deepen community ties and strengthen the Party as a whole.

Policy platform votes

Binding elections or non-binding polls to allow Party members to express their opinions on various policy positions. Voters are presented with a detailed list of policy recommendations and can approve or reject each of them individually.
Vocdoni drastically lowers the cost of having a secure, transparent voting process. It also lowers the cost to voters, implementing a seamless registration and voting flow on members’ own devices. This enables higher-frequency, more interactive democratic processes, meaning more policy decisions can be put to the approval of membership. The adaptable interface can include detailed descriptions of proposals, along with video or graphic representations of the effect or cost of each proposal.

Case study: ERC - Strengthening internal democracy with transparent digital elections

A High-Stakes, Country-wide digital vote

For political parties, leadership elections and policy votes must be trustworthy, accessible, and secure. Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC), one of Catalonia’s leading political parties, sought to enhance its internal governance by modernizing its voting process. Given that the outcome of this vote directly impacted ERC’s stance on supporting the Spanish President, the stakes were national, making the need for a transparent, tamper-proof system even greater.
ERC leveraged Vocdoni’s blockchain-based voting protocol to ensure its members could participate in critical decision-making, regardless of location. The election process incorporated advanced cryptographic techniques to guarantee transparency, security, and accessibility, ensuring members could vote remotely with complete confidence in the integrity of the results.

How it worked: A seamless, secure, and transparent voting process

1. Remote and accessible voting
   Vocdoni’s platform allowed ERC members to vote from anywhere, using any device. This eliminated geographical barriers, ensuring participation from a broad demographic, including younger and international members.
2. Ranked-Choice & referenda voting
   The voting system supported both ranked-choice voting for leadership elections and yes/no referenda for policy decisions. This flexibility allowed ERC to conduct a variety of internal votes efficiently while maintaining fair representation.
3. Blockchain-Powered transparency & security
   By leveraging blockchain technology, ERC’s elections were immutable and verifiable. Every vote was cryptographically secured, ensuring anonymity while allowing any party member to audit the results independently, reinforcing trust in the electoral process.
4. Real-Time verifiable results
   The decentralized nature of the voting infrastructure meant that results could be audited in real-time. Members and observers could verify that votes were recorded correctly without revealing voter identities, eliminating concerns over potential manipulation.

Results & Impact

The adoption of Vocdoni’s digital voting system led to significant benefits for ERC, including:

• Increased turnout: The remote voting option enabled wider participation, especially among younger and international members.
• Enhanced trust and transparency: Members could independently verify the election results, ensuring confidence in the decision-making process.
• Fraud prevention: The blockchain-based system prevented vote tampering and unauthorized alterations, securing the legitimacy of the vote.
• Reduced administrative costs and complexity: Digital voting eliminated logistical expenses and streamlined the electoral process.

The political impact: A vote that shaped Spain’s future

This vote was more than just an internal election; it played a decisive role in national politics. The outcome of ERC’s voting process ultimately determined whether the party would continue supporting the Spanish President. With such high stakes, it was crucial that the election was conducted with maximum integrity and security—something Vocdoni’s blockchain infrastructure ensured flawlessly.

Why this matters for other political parties

As political organizations face growing scrutiny over electoral integrity, digital voting presents a forward-thinking solution to enhance trust, participation, and efficiency. Other political parties can follow ERC’s example to:

• Modernize their internal voting infrastructure.
• Increase participation by enabling remote voting.
• Guarantee election security and prevent fraud.
• Reduce operational costs and administrative burdens.
  By embracing blockchain-based digital voting, political parties can build a more transparent, secure, and democratic future, ensuring that every member’s voice is heard without compromise.

References

[1] Brennan Center for Justice. The Iowa Caucus Exposed the Threat of ‘Voter Fraud’ Fearmongering.
[2] Jacobs, Sheri. The Art of Membership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2014.
[3] VoxDev. How Should Political Parties Choose Candidates?