Voting in Democracy Referenda

Substrate-based blockchains often have built-in on-chain governance mechanisms, which include voting on referenda. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to vote in democracy referenda on a Substrate blockchain:

Note: This guide assumes you have already set up a Substrate-based wallet and have some tokens in your account.

Governance Interfaces

Polkadot Apps is the primary way to interact with governance on Tangle Network.

• Democracy: https://polkadot.js.org/apps/?rpc=wss://rpc.tangle.tools#/democracy (opens in a new tab)
• Treasury: https://polkadot.js.org/apps/?rpc=wss://rpc.tangle.tools#/treasury (opens in a new tab)
• Council: https://polkadot.js.org/apps/?rpc=wss://rpc.tangle.tools#/council (opens in a new tab)

1. Access the Polkadot/Substrate User Interface (UI): Visit the Substrate UI (opens in a new tab). This web interface is used to interact with the Tangle network and other Substrate chains, during our testnet phase you can use Webb's alpha interface (opens in a new tab)

2. Connect to the correct network: Ensure you're connected to the Tangle Network, if not, at the top-left of the page, you will see a drop-down menu. Here you can select the Tangle network.

3. Access the Democracy module: On the left sidebar, under the Governance tab, click on Democracy. This is the on-chain voting system where all the current referenda are listed.

4. Choose a Referendum: You will see a list of active referenda each represented by a number. Click on a specific referendum to see more details.

5. Review the Referendum Details: Each referendum has a description and specific details. Review these carefully to understand what you are voting for or against.

6. Cast Your Vote: Once you've decided how to vote, click on the "Vote" button. You'll be asked to choose between 'Aye' (yes) and 'Nay' (no), and you'll have the option to adjust your vote's "conviction," which multiplies your vote's power at the cost of locking your tokens for a longer period.

7. Sign and Submit the Transaction: After clicking the "Vote" button, you will need to sign the transaction using your account. Enter your password and click on "Sign and Submit". Your vote will be recorded on the blockchain once the transaction is included in a block.

8. Wait for the Voting Period to End: Each referendum has a voting period. When this period ends, votes are tallied, and the decision is enacted based on the majority vote.

Remember that voting in a referendum will lock your tokens until the end of the enactment period (if the proposal passes) or until the end of the voting period (if the proposal does not pass). The length of these periods can vary, refer to our parameters.