Moroccan researchers have tested a digital voting system designed to operate with limited or no internet connectivity, combining facial recognition, blockchain technology and low-power hardware.
The system, known as AdaptVote, was tested over 12 hours in Nador with 300 participants. Internet access was available for only 35% of the trial, but the platform remained operational for 99.2% of the test period, according to the researchers.
Rather than relying on a permanent internet connection, AdaptVote stores votes locally and synchronizes the data once connectivity is restored. The researchers say the approach could make electronic voting more practical in areas with unreliable internet access or limited electricity.
The trial also found that participants completed the digital voting process more quickly than a paper ballot. The average completion time was 2.1 minutes for electronic voting, compared with 4.5 minutes for paper voting.
The system recorded 287 votes as final. Researchers said all were included in the final count after checks found no inconsistencies in the digital records or conflicting votes.
Facial recognition and blockchain
Voters’ identities were verified using facial recognition. Some participants initially could not be authenticated because they were wearing sunglasses, had covered faces or encountered temporary camera problems. Those cases were resolved manually using identity documents.
The researchers also tested the system’s ability to recognize people using older photographs. Facial recognition achieved an accuracy rate of 96.7% when comparing images taken six to 10 years apart.
Blockchain technology was used to secure voting records and make unauthorized changes to recorded data more difficult. Additional safeguards were designed to prevent the same identity from being used to cast multiple votes.
The system was also designed to operate with minimal power consumption. The voting station used a maximum of 4.2 watts during the test, allowing it to operate for several hours on a relatively small battery.
AdaptVote was developed by researchers from Mohammed First University in Oujda and Abdelmalek Essaadi University in Tetouan. Their study was published Sept. 4 in the Journal of Cybersecurity and Privacy.
Prototype, not an electoral system
Despite the results, AdaptVote remains a research prototype and has not been adopted by Morocco’s electoral authorities.
A nationwide electronic voting system would face challenges extending beyond technical performance, including data protection, biometric privacy, legal oversight, independent auditing and public confidence in the technology.
The researchers also acknowledge that the biometric identification component requires further development. Among the options they propose is combining facial recognition with another form of identification, such as fingerprints.
The Nador trial therefore provides an early test of whether a low-connectivity voting platform can function reliably under constrained conditions, rather than evidence that Morocco is preparing to introduce nationwide digital voting.
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