Blockchain

A data structure which can be used to create consensus across many mutually distrusting parties. Most commonly associated with Bitcoin, blockchains work by incentivizing parties to verify the correctness of some kind of data. In Bitcoin, all parties (or nodes) compete to produce a proof that they verified that a ledger adds up correctly. Blockchains can provide a consistent view across independent parties (if a majority of the parties are honest), but they do not by themselves ensure things like the privacy of a vote or that the vote being submitted corresponds to the voter’s intent.

Soure: Election Cybersecurity 101 Field Guide – Glossary, Center for Democracy & Technology, https://cdt.org/insight/election-cybersecurity-101-field-guide-glossary/

A database that holds a continuously growing set of encrypted transactions, in a tamper proof format. Blockchain is the underlying architecture for Bitcoin technology. Online voting systems have been proposed that use Blockchain architecture.

Soure: Glossary - Introduction to Information Technology for Election Officials, U.S. Election Assistance Commission, https://www.eac.gov/assets/1/28/Glossary_IT-Terms_Managing_Election_Technology.pdf