Reflections on the Regional Communities DAO Election
In the spirit of decentralized governance, the Regional Communities DAO (RC DAO) independently conducted their election, outside of the direct advisory or oversight from the Governance Working Group (GWG) Core Contributors. It’s crucial to note that while we champion such autonomous initiatives, the challenges faced during this election sharply contrast with the rigorous standards of governance we endorse.
During this election, it was noted that the voting rules and processes were hard to find, creating a significant barrier for candidates and voters alike. This lack of clarity in guidelines may have contributed to the unexpected irregularities observed.
One such irregularity was a substantial surge in voter registrations, which deviated from typical voting activities. More strikingly, we noticed an unusual sequential voting pattern that suggested a coordinated effort to manipulate the election results.
Upon detailed investigation, it was discovered that there were instances of fraudulent votes cast for multiple candidates, artificially inflating their popularity. This violation gravely undermined the election’s democratic integrity, breaching the fundamental principle of “one person, one vote.” The interference notably altered the RC DAO election outcomes, particularly in Asia and South America.
It’s crucial to underline that the voting technology deployed in the RC DAO election was fundamentally different from the robust tools we utilize in our processes, which are designed to safeguard each vote’s integrity.
We perceive this incident as an invaluable but unfortunate learning experience to refine our collective mechanisms and fortify us against similar disruptions. It underscores the importance of accessible, clear rules and vigilant monitoring of electoral activities. We remain unyielding in our commitment to uphold democratic principles and high governance standards that define our collective.
Ensuring the Integrity of NDC General Elections
The GWG is passionately dedicated to ushering the NDC towards a future marked by decentralised governance. Our primary guiding principle in this journey is the commitment to ensuring fair, transparent, and equitable electoral processes.
As a first principle, we fundamentally oppose voting restrictions, as they can inadvertently exclude and silence newer or marginalized community members, contravening the ideals of decentralization and democratic governance we uphold. Instead, our safeguards are aimed at meticulously scrutinizing candidates, the technology employed, governance mechanisms, and legal frameworks to ensure the integrity of our democratic processes.
We have implemented vote bonding, which necessitates voters to stake a certain amount of NEAR tokens, promoting responsible participation and acting as a strong deterrent to fraudulent activities.
While we were deeply concerned about the irregularities observed during the recent RC DAO election, it’s important to note that our robust safeguards were already in place before the incident. In response, we’ve reinforced our systems, establishing additional measures that not only mitigate potential risks but reaffirm our commitment to our community. Our collective goal is to provide assurance that we are dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and fairness in all future elections.
Safeguard 1. Enforcing a Fair Voting Policy
Every voter holding an I-Am-Human verified account pledges not to sell their vote as an inherent condition of their participation in the voting process. Any breach of this policy, if substantiated by credible evidence, will subject the offender to post-election enforcement actions by the Transparency Commission (TC).
Safeguard 2. Mandating Candidate Transparency and Accountability
Candidates are obligated to commit against buying votes for their election. This commitment forms a fundamental tenet of their candidacy. Like voters, candidates found guilty of transgressing this commitment will also be subject to post-election enforcement by the TC.
Safeguard 3. Implementing a Vote Bonding
Vote bonding is a mechanism designed to deter malicious voting behaviors. Participants must stake a certain amount of NEAR tokens, as a bond to vote. This bond ensures good faith participation and can be reclaimed post-voting if all rules are adhered to. However, if participants engage in vote manipulation, such as buying or selling votes, the bond is forfeited. This mechanism introduces a strong financial disincentive to engage in fraudulent activities, safeguarding the integrity of the voting process. Recently, in a NDC produced EasyPoll, the community had a majority vote to have a bond for the vote.
Safeguard 4. Real-time and Post-Election Review by Pikes Peak
We are privileged to have Pikes Peak, with its superior data visualization and tracking capabilities, as an active participant in our ecosystem. Pikes Peak will provide real-time monitoring of election results, as well as conduct post-election reviews, offering us insights into any anomalies and ensuring the fairness of the electoral process.
Safeguard 5. Establishing a Whistleblower Program and Bounty
Alongside the technical safeguards and Pikes Peak’s oversight, we’re instituting a whistleblower incentive program. We encourage individuals with credible information about potential election fraud to come forward. If their claims regarding the people involved and the impact are substantiated, they will be rewarded with a bounty.
Safeguard 6. Enforcing Penalties by the Transparency Commission
In the face of severe election fraud, the Transparency Commission will serve as the chief investigative body, entrusted with the power to revoke OG SBTs and impose stringent penalties. Its mandate will extend to making determinations about penalties for voters and candidates alike, even contemplating indefinite bans where necessary.
The Commission is tasked with responding to complaints, carrying out comprehensive investigations, and instituting suitable corrective measures, all while adhering to the principles of transparency and fairness. We advocate that the Transparency Commission adopts a zero-tolerance policy towards candidates found guilty of electoral fraud or manipulation.
Should a candidate be convicted of such practices, we believe their punishment should extend beyond the revocation of their OG status. We recommend that they also be barred from receiving funding from the community treasury, the House of Merit, or any of the funding nodes, either directly or indirectly, for a period of no less than two years. This serves as both a punitive measure and a powerful deterrent, promoting fairness, integrity, and trust within our voting system.
Based on a recent NDC’s community poll, the community wants to give Dings (negative reputation) to those who are not playing by the election rules. We asked: How should we handle vote buying or fraudulent election activities?
Ding — approved by majority
Blacklist — approved by majority
Revoke OG SBT — approved by majority
Charting the Course Towards an Unassailable Decentralized Future
The GWG’s unwavering commitment is to uphold the integrity, fairness, and transparency within the NDC. In response to the recent RC DAO election incident, we are intensifying our efforts to refine our processes and strengthen our systems, demonstrating our resolve to avert future deviations from our democratic ideals.
We’ve designed strategic safeguards to create an ecosystem that respects and protects each vote’s sanctity. These include a fair voting policy, a voting bond, utilizing Pikes Peak’s analytical capabilities, and a whistleblower program. Each of these measures is crafted to safeguard our collective’s democratic spirit.
To reinforce this, we’ll collaborate with Pikes Peak to design a systematic fraud detection tool for current and future elections, focusing on detecting fraudulent activities like account buying, vote buying, and coordinated manipulation efforts.
Furthermore, we’re establishing the Election Integrity Council, an autonomous council that will oversee elections and the whistleblower program, armed with real-time capabilities to blacklist fraudulent voters, thereby guaranteeing optimal integrity.
However, our community’s collective conscience is our greatest safeguard. We invite everyone to join us in preserving the integrity of our elections. Through vigilance, transparency, and fairness, we aim to set a global standard for decentralised governance. This mission is our commitment, and we eagerly look forward to your continued support.
