The NEC has not responded to Quartz’s email enquiries seeking further clarification.

In an updated statement, Agora said that it had experienced pushback on the extent of its involvement in the election and wanted to clarify its involvement. It stated that “official election results only come from the NEC,” and that its ”goal was to have this election demonstrate our capabilities and open the door for further cooperation with the NEC in the future.”

While it was not officially adopted by the electoral commission, there is some potential for use of decentralized technology in elections across the continent. As with cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and ethereum, recording votes on publicly accessible ledgers in real-time could bring more transparency to electoral processes and possibly prevent electoral disputes which often follow elections on the continent. For instance, the Brazilian legislature is testing the use of the ethereum blockchain to verify signatures collected for popular petitions.

When Sierra Leoneans return to the polls on March 27 thoughin a run off between Samura Kamara, candidate of the ruling All People’s Congress, and Maada Bio, the main opposition candidatetheir votes will be recorded only on paper.

📬 Sign up for the Daily Brief

Our free, fast, and fun briefing on the global economy, delivered every weekday morning.