Share this article
Maine Lawmakers Kill Blockchain Voting Study Proposal
A legislative proposal to study the use of blockchain technology for elections in Maine has failed, public records show.
By Stan Higgins
Updated Sep 11, 2021, 1:14 p.m. Published Apr 14, 2017, 1:28 p.m.
A legislative proposal to study the use of blockchain technology for elections in Maine has failed, public records show.
As reported last month by CoinDesk, Senator Eric Brakey introduced a proposal to create a commission to study whether the tech could be applied to the state’s elections process.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters
According to the text of the proposal, the commission would have explored blockchain to see if it could "support and enhance Maine's current paper ballot election system for the purpose of improving paper ballot security, increasing election transparency and reducing costs". If passed, the measure would have led to the development of a report on the subject, to be delivered by early December.
Yet as shown in public records, a senate committee elected to place the measure in Maine's legislative archives, essentially scuttling it for the foreseeable future. A legislative aide confirmed the move when asked for comment by CoinDesk.
Despite the failure, the concept of blockchain-based voting has been explored elsewhere.
Notably, a South Korean community government utilized the tech in a local funding ballot that saw roughly 9,000 votes submitted. South Korean-based blockchain startup Blocko contributed the technology for that initiative.
Maine State Capitol image via Shutterstock
More For You
What to know:
- As of October 2025, GoPlus has generated $4.7M in total revenue across its product lines. The GoPlus App is the primary revenue driver, contributing $2.5M (approx. 53%), followed by the SafeToken Protocol at $1.7M.
- GoPlus Intelligence's Token Security API averaged 717 million monthly calls year-to-date in 2025 , with a peak of nearly 1 billion calls in February 2025. Total blockchain-level requests, including transaction simulations, averaged an additional 350 million per month.
- Since its January 2025 launch , the $GPS token has registered over $5B in total spot volume and $10B in derivatives volume in 2025. Monthly spot volume peaked in March 2025 at over $1.1B , while derivatives volume peaked the same month at over $4B.
More For You
Bitcoin Holds Near $92K as Selling Cools, but Demand Still Lags
ETF inflows have finally turned positive, but weak on-chain activity, defensive derivatives positioning, and negative spot CVD show a market stabilizing without the conviction needed for a sustained move higher.
What to know:
- Bitcoin markets in Asia are stabilizing but remain structurally weak, with short-term holders dominating supply.
- U.S. ETF flows have shown signs of stabilization, but on-chain activity remains near cycle lows, indicating weak capital inflows.
- Bitcoin and Ether have seen price recoveries driven by spot demand and improved sentiment, while gold is supported by U.S. labor data and Fed rate cut expectations.
Top Stories
