As the U.S. prepares for a new election cycle, Sequent, a company specializing in cryptographically secure online voting, is ushering a new era in digital democracy. Founded in 2021 by Shai Bargil, a former Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) engineer, and co-founders Eduardo Robles and David Ruescas, Sequent aims to address the growing concerns over election security and accessibility with a platform that blends advanced cryptographic techniques with open-source level transparency.
The Vision Behind Sequent’s Secure Voting Platform
Bargil’s background is deeply rooted in cybersecurity, product management, and election technology—a blend that laid the foundation for Sequent. His experience includes engineering combat systems within the IDF, developing advanced cybersecurity solutions for national banks and government agencies, and pioneering products within Israel’s high-tech sector.
“Our vision combines secure, verifiable, and transparent digital voting for remote and in-person voters, backed by paper trails that voters themselves can verify,” said Bargil, highlighting the commitment to creating a system that meets modern security and transparency standards without sacrificing accessibility.
The team behind Sequent brings a wealth of expertise to the table. Robles and Ruescas, co-founders with deep technical knowledge, initially worked together on open-source election and cryptographic projects in Europe. Since those early days, Sequent’s technology has evolved significantly, integrating a custom-built cryptographic voting protocol specifically designed to handle national-level elections with secure voting and verifiable election results at its core.
Sequent’s Core Technology and Open-Source Advantage
Sequent’s platform uses a unique cryptographic voting protocol designed to secure the voting experience while also ensuring that every ballot cast is accounted for and verifiable by the voters and independent auditors.
“What truly sets Sequent apart from other companies is that we are also the first company to develop our solution as open-source software from day one,” Bargil said.
This choice reflects the company’s dedication to election transparency, allowing third-party auditors, academics, and public security experts to scrutinize the system code base and verify its security and integrity. By adopting an open-source approach, Sequent addresses one of the most significant challenges in today’s digital voting: ensuring public trust in the democratic process.
This model also aligns with the recently published White House’s National Cybersecurity Strategy for Secure and Measurable Software, setting it up for a potential federal endorsement of Sequent’s technology as a viable option for U.S. elections.
This level of transparency is essential as skepticism around digital voting systems remains high. According to Bargil, the open-source development approach is a core advantage, providing the necessary layer of independent system verification that no other in the industry offers.
“Election security and public trust are more important than ever, and our open-source approach provides unprecedented transparency to how the voting system actually works. By openly collaborating with security and election experts worldwide as well as with the public, Sequent is better positioned to address these essential aspects of elections.,” he explained.
Pioneering Real-World Applications: Sequent’s Success in the Philippines and Beyond
One of Sequent’s standout achievements thus far is its selection as the online voting platform for 1.7 million overseas Filipino voters across 76 countries in the upcoming 2025 Philippine general elections.
This deployment is not just a technical milestone; it serves as a case study for the potential of secure, large-scale online voting for overseas voters. The ability to support remote digital voting on a national scale paves the way for similar applications in the U.S., which can help replace the traditional and complex mail-in voting options.
Sequent’s platform has already been used in over 200 elections across ten countries, including the U.S., Canada, Spain, Germany, and South Africa.
In Spain, Sequent’s platform was deployed for a national election for a major professional association, where it proved instrumental in resolving a disputed result.
After the losing party questioned the election outcome, Sequent provided transparent, verifiable data to uphold the election’s integrity, demonstrating the power of cryptographically secure and verifiable voting in fostering trust and ensuring accurate results.
Overcoming Challenges in U.S. Election Security
Despite its successes, Sequent has faced challenges typical of digital voting pioneers, particularly concerning voter fraud and system transparency. In a time when election security is a national priority, Sequent’s cryptographic-based system has the ability to provide voters and auditors with verifiable evidence that each vote is cast, recorded and counted correctly and that election results are accurate, meeting global standards for secure and verifiable electoral process.
Bargil emphasizes that this technology could play a pivotal role in reshaping elections in the U.S., urging the next U.S. administration to support the piloting of such voting systems for overseas citizens and military personnel who face challenges with traditional voting methods.
The Market and Future Goals for Sequent
Sequent is targeting a portion of the estimated $18.9 billion global market for voting technology.
Bargil underscores that while the platform already supports national elections, future developments will focus on advancing the solution toward the use in U.S. federal, state, and local markets.
This strategic expansion comes as the demand for more accessible and secure voting options grows worldwide, with over four billion people voting in elections each year. The potential for secure digital voting resonates strongly in the U.S., where election officials are beginning to see the need to modernize voting systems.
Sequent’s primary objective is to first address the urgent need of U.S. voters covered under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) to ensure their participation in U.S. elections, as many of them often face challenges with current voting options.
Expanding into this area aligns with Sequent’s broader goal of offering secure, accessible voting options for citizens worldwide, whether for local, state, or national elections.
A Growing Demand for Investment and Expansion
As Sequent scales to meet increasing demand, the company plans to launch a new fundraising round in Q4 2024 to support expansion efforts across the U.S. and internationally. With voting officials globally recognizing the limitations of mail-in systems and the need for better ballot accessibility, Sequent’s platform is poised to become a crucial alternative to be integrated into any election. Ensuring both digital convenience and enhanced security.
Sequent’s upcoming fundrasing round is expected to accelerate Sequent’s solution development and allow more voters than ever before to be included in the democratic process.
Future Impact and Collaborations
In addition to direct deployments, Sequent actively collaborates with government agencies and public organizations to contribute its expertise in secure election technologies. The company has worked alongside Canada’s Digital Governance Standards Institute (DGSI) to help build municipal voting standards in Ontario and has collaborated with Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) on creating security profiles for internet voting systems.
In the U.S., Sequent has advised the Department of Labor on existing voting technologies, ensuring up-to-date guidelines and standards for local and national unions looking to migrate from mail-in ballot elections.
“Sequent is deeply involved in building and promoting global standards that will define secure, end-to-end verifiable and transparent voting in the digital age,” Bargil said.
As the 2024 U.S. election cycle approaches, Sequent’s platform presents a glimpse of a digital voting future that may become a reality for many Americans. Cryptographically secure systems, open-source transparency, and a mission-driven approach, are providing the basis to uphold the very foundation of democratic participation.
