Addressing Voting Apathy in Optimism Governance

Delegates 🏛 Delegate Updates
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Hey @Ugbuericsam ,

Thanks for the thread and for compiling a breakdown of delegate activity; it’s an important conversation! I agree that low engagement has a direct impact on the efficiency and legitimacy of Optimism governance. However, I think it’s crucial to address one of the core underlying issues: incentives.

The Role of Incentives in Governance

Active governance participation—whether it’s joining calls, contributing to forum discussions, or voting on proposals—requires time and effort. For many delegates, especially newer or smaller ones, the current structure doesn’t offer enough tangible motivation to prioritize these activities.

Key Questions:

  1. What incentives are there for new delegates to hop into governance calls, stay active in forum discussions, or ensure consistent voting? Right now, the incentive framework heavily favors the top 100 delegates, but even within this group, many lack engagement. What’s encouraging those outside this range to participate, grow their reputation, and stay involved?
  2. Is 4,000 OP enough? For top 100 delegates, 4,000 OP at the end of the season seems like a nice bonus, but it’s unlikely to offset the actual time and effort required for meaningful participation. Delegates outside the top 100, however, receive no direct compensation despite often being the ones striving to prove themselves. Should we explore a broader, more inclusive incentive system to support these “underdogs”?

Expanding Incentives:

Here are a few ideas that could complement your proposals:

  • Staggered Rewards: Introduce incentives that scale with activity rather than delegate size. For instance:
    • Forum contributions (e.g., active discussions, proposal suggestions) could earn recognition or small token rewards.
    • Delegates could receive rewards tied to their participation rate rather than their rank in voting power.
  • Milestone Bonuses: Offer additional OP rewards when delegates hit participation milestones (e.g., consistent attendance on calls, voting in 90%+ of cycles over a season).
  • Support for Non-Top 100 Delegates: Consider creating a fund to reward high-performing delegates who are outside the top 100 but actively contributing to the community.

Educating Token Holders:

Beyond incentivizing delegates, we also need to engage token holders. Many may not even realize they can reassign votes if their delegate is inactive. Educational efforts and notifications could be game-changing for governance participation.

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