Cardano elects new governance committees in low-turnout vote. Credit: Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post.
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Key Takeaways
Intersect’s Q1 2025 elections concluded on May 12 with over 11,800 ballots cast.
36 members were elected across eight committees that help steer Cardano’s governance.
Voter turnout was 27%, prompting calls for broader engagement and improved outreach.
Cardano’s governance-focused organization, Intersect, concluded its second election cycle on May 12.
The internal vote, which determines membership across the network’s key governance committees, saw over 500 eligible members cast a total of 11,839 ballots for 119 candidates vying for 36 open seats.
The Intersect elections take place annually and are central to Cardano’s ongoing transition to decentralized governance under the Voltaire era.
Participation is limited to verified Intersect members, who vote to fill positions across eight committees responsible for oversight, advisory, and strategic input on the protocol’s development.
The election filled 36 seats across eight committees, each tasked with guiding different aspects of Cardano’s decentralized governance.
Among them is the Cardano Civics Committee, which helps facilitate community participation and supports governance-related activities.
The Growth and Marketing Committee brings together founding entities and marketing professionals to coordinate ecosystem-wide strategies.
Intersect 2025 vote count. Source: Intersect
Other committees include the Technical Steering Committee, which advises on core protocol development, and the Open Source Committee, which oversees the direction and stewardship of open-source contributions.
The Cardano Budget Committee is responsible for financial planning and resource allocation, while the Product Committee focuses on roadmap alignment and feature prioritization.
The Membership and Community Committee addresses engagement and internal coordination among Intersect participants.
The Intersect Strategic Council (ISC), composed of the chairs of the standing committees and Intersect’s administrative leads, is at the top of the governance structure.
The ISC, with just two members, plays a high-level decision-making role and coordinates cross-committee initiatives.
Intersect published a full breakdown of the vote counts. It also confirmed that Netherlands-based DQuadrant, a long-time contributor to the Cardano ecosystem, has independently audited the elections.
Participation Remains a Challenge
Despite the scale of the elections, turnout was low, with just 27% of eligible members participating.
Intersect acknowledged the issue and said it plans to step up outreach efforts, including better visibility for candidates and more frequent communication with members.
To improve future engagement, the organization said it would work with committee members to help candidates produce one-minute campaign videos and explore additional outreach channels.
It also reiterated the need to expand its membership base and support stronger grassroots participation in governance.
However, the low participation rate highlights the challenges that decentralized governance systems continue to face, especially when it comes to sustaining active civic engagement.
Prashant Jha is a seasoned crypto journalist based in Delhi, India, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science Engineering. Passionate about the evolving world of blockchain and cryptocurrencies, he has been a dedicated voice in the industry since 2018. Prashant’s expertise lies in regulatory reporting, where he unravels complex legal and financial developments with clarity and precision. Before joining CCN in 2024, he honed his craft at Cointelegraph, establishing himself as a trusted name in crypto journalism.
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