The Democratic Illusion through the Technological Illusion: a Case Study of the Implementation of a Blockchain to Support an E-voting Platform in Moscow (Active Citizen)

TL;DR

This paper critically examines Moscow's Active Citizen e-voting platform, revealing it primarily serves political and image-building purposes rather than genuinely enhancing democratic participation.

Contribution

It provides a case study analysis showing how technological implementations can be used to reinforce political power rather than promote democracy.

Findings

The platform aims to bolster Moscow's global city image.

It consolidates the city hall’s political authority.

The democratic potential of the e-voting system is limited.

Abstract

This paper presents an ongoing analyze of the Active Citizen e-voting system proposed by the Moscow city hall. This research points out that the main objective of the platform is not to enhance the democratic power of the Muscovites, but to strengthen the position of Moscow as a modern city at a world scale and the position of the city hall in the Russian political system.