It would be very difficult and probably impossible to offer voting for government candidates via the blockchain without requiring proof of ID. Otherwise it would be trivial to manipulate the results. As Snail2 said, there are altcoins out there right now that have implemented or are looking towards implementing a voting feature. Most are designed so that your voting power is proportional to your stake. Examples include NXT, Qora, and BitShares.
I don't vote because I have lost all faith in politicians. I don't vote because all it seems to be is voting for a cheek of the same arse, or a lesser of an evil. I'm sure some of you may feel the same.
Bitcoin as money is an amazing concept and a voting system based on blockchain technology that couldn't be fiddled would be ground shaking change.
(Change you can believe in? remember that? )((Bull shit))
I would vote if I knew 100% that my vote counted. Not voting for some candidate already vetted by the establisment.
I think this is probably being worked on by someone right now, the world needs it... politics is full of liars and charlatans.
Wouldn't it be great if voting field of play was made level by cryptography?
Blockchain voting would be good, but I don't think it would change the core problem of politics, i.e. that everyone knows that only 2 or 3 people can possibly win, all of those with a chance to win offer little real change, and when they get in they do something completely different to what they said beforehand.
First past the post is difficult, especially in the UK as a party can get 40% of the vote and win by a landslide, but without first past the post minority parties hold the power by always being able to choose who is in power.
In the US first past the post is fine, 2 parties, one wins.
There are countries with governments composed of multiple smaller parties with no single party having a clear majority although these tend to be in the minority.
e.g. 2010 Dutch election results:
Also Switzerland has a very unusual government that is unique in the world.
The politics of Switzerland take place in the framework of a multi-party federal directorial democratic republic, whereby the Federal Council of Switzerland is the head of government and head of state. Executive power is exercised by the government and the federal administration and is not concentrated in any one person. Federal legislative power is vested in both the government and the two chambers of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
Switzerland is the closest state in the world to a direct democracy. For any change in the constitution, a referendum is mandatory (mandatory referendum); for any change in a law, a referendum can be requested (optional referendum). Through referenda, citizens may challenge any law voted by federal parliament and through federal popular initiative introduce amendments to the federal constitution.
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_SwitzerlandWhile there is a President, that role is mostly ceremonial and grants no additional political power. There is no real equivalent of a "prime minister" either. The Federal Council of Switzerland is the head of government and it consists of seven people. Each represents a political party and its composition changes over time.
