NDC Elections: Voting Process and Updates The NDC election which commenced on the 8th of September, 2023 is currently ongoing. If you are curious to know about what's been happening at the polls since the election started, you should stick around as we dive into everything you need to know. Who is a Verified Voter? To be able to vote in the NDC elections, you'll have to be a verified voter. A verified voter is a human user who: has created an account before the 1st of April, 2023, and has made more than or exactly 50 transactions with the account. holds one SBT or more that emphasizes their human activity through NDC contribution or OG SBT status. Once you've confirmed that you're a verified voter, you'll need to secure your vote with a 3 NEAR Bond. There is a rule that states that every verified voter should deposit a 3 NEAR Bond as proof of commitment to the election process. If by any chance you go against the fair voting policy, the 3 NEAR Bond will be forfeited. Who is an Unverified Voter? An unverified voter is a human user who has: Created an account after the 1st of April, 2023 with less than 50 transactions. Does not have any approved SBTs that show a higher degree of human activities. If you're an unverified voter, you should adhere to one of these instructions to be eligible to vote: Complete Your KYC To be eligible to vote, you will have to complete your KYC. This takes about 3 days for approval. You should be aware that completing your KYC doesn't only grant you verified voter status, it also helps to facilitate any funding request or approved gigs. You can click HERE to complete your NDC KYC. Deposit of 300 NEAR Bond This is another way to be eligible to vote. An instant deposit of 300 NEAR Bond grants immediate voting rights. If there is a breach of the fair voting policy, the bond will be forfeited. Hence, reinforcing the need to stick to the NDC election principle. Engage with the EIC You can choose the option of a video call to reaffirm your identity and grant access to your wallet via an on-chain transaction. This takes up to three days for approval. You can click HERE to schedule a Voter Verification call. It is advisable to go for the 300 NEAR Bond deposit or the completion of KYC. This is because of the limited time available. There is however no guarantee that you will be verified through the EIC before the end of the election. Check Your Voter Status Most people recently found out that they are not eligible to vote because they have been blacklisted. It is very important that you check your voter status to be sure that you are eligible to vote. Being blacklisted means that your account tripped an RC election. Here are the criteria for being blacklisted: If you have an account that has received NEAR or NEP141 from Hide Your Cash, you will be blacklisted. If suspicious voting activities or patterns are found in your account, you will be blacklisted. Parent accounts and all associated child accounts will be blacklisted. Oops! You've Been Blacklisted This is what you'll have to do when blacklisted: Schedule an NDC Blacklist appeal with EIC. Hop on a video call with the EIC officials to confirm your identity and also grant access to your wallet through an on-chain transaction. You'll have to explain the discrepancies that led to your blacklisting by providing evidence to clarify any suspicious activity associated with your account. Bear in mind that the fact that you've been blacklisted doesn't mean that you've done something wrong. Being blacklisted is a preventive measure for bots. You should know that an appeal process was put in place for those who were accidentally blacklisted. How To Make Your Voice Heard If you've not voted, you are wrong. Here is how to vote in the NDC election: Step One You'll have to confirm your voter status. To do this; Head over to https://i-am-human.app Navigate down to the list of SBTs to see your voter status. If you're a verified voter, you should have your 3 NEAR Bonds for voting. The unverified voters should complete their KYC while the blacklisted voters should make an appeal. Step Two Agree to the Fair Voter policy by following these steps: Go to https://neardc.org/election Check the “Agree to Fair Voter” policy tab. Mint "Fair Voter" NFT Check a Candidate and post a 3 NEAR Bond while voting. The bond is 100% refundable. Step Three To vote and unbond, follow these processes; Vote for your preferred candidate in a house. Keep in mind that you can vote only once per house. You'll be voting for each house separately in 3 separate transactions. Vote for Set-up Package (Term Limit and Budget) After you're done voting, you can now mint the "I Voted" SBT. You can claim your NEAR Bond from the 1st of October when the results have been announced. Please Note: The NDC will refund the bond after the 1st of October if your vote is legal. In a situation where the vote is illegal, that bond will be lost as a penalty. Election Update In the first week of the election, the Election Integrity Council received the following reports: 21 Unverified Voters Submissions. 37 Blacklisted Accounts Submissions. 5 Whistleblower Report Submissions. Currently, the EIC is busy scheduling interviews with unverified and blacklisted users. If you've submitted an appeal, be patient as you'll be contacted in due time. You can join our Telegram channel, and follow us on Twitter (X) for more updates. Ciao!