Digital literacy and trust as drivers of blockchain E-voting systems adoption: Impacts on voter satisfaction and referral behavior

Blockchain-enabled services facilitate electronic voting (e-voting) experiences that are secure, immutable, transparent, and reliable. However, extant research on blockchain-based e-voting services has predominantly focused on its technical aspects, often overlooking the influence of digital literacy factors (namely, cognitive, technical, and socio-emotional dimensions) on adoption behavior. This study investigates the effects of these dimensions of digital literacy on citizens’ adoption intentions, subsequent adoption behavior, and outcome variables, such as satisfaction and referral behavior, while accounting for the mediating role of perceived trust. Data were collected from a sample of 315 U.S. voters with experience using blockchain technology via MTurk. The analysis using SmartPLS revealed that only the technical dimension of digital literacy directly influenced users’ adoption intentions toward blockchain-based e-voting. However, all dimensions of digital literacy exerted indirect effects on adoption intentions through perceived trust. Additionally, adoption behavior positively predicted outcome variables, including satisfaction and referral behavior. These findings advance the theoretical understanding of blockchain-enabled e-voting services by underscoring the critical roles of digital literacy and trust in shaping adoption behavior and its outcomes while also offering practical implications for technology managers and policymakers.