diff --git a/bigchaindb/pipelines/election.py b/bigchaindb/pipelines/election.py
index b17f5722..8f3116cc 100644
--- a/bigchaindb/pipelines/election.py
+++ b/bigchaindb/pipelines/election.py
@@ -23,9 +23,11 @@ logger_results = logging.getLogger('pipeline.election.results')
 class Election:
     """Election class."""
 
-    def __init__(self, events_queue):
+    def __init__(self, events_queue=None):
         self.bigchain = Bigchain()
-        self.event_handler = EventHandler(events_queue)
+        self.event_handler = None
+        if events_queue:
+            self.event_handler = EventHandler(events_queue)
 
     def check_for_quorum(self, next_vote):
         """
@@ -71,19 +73,20 @@ class Election:
         return invalid_block
 
     def handle_block_events(self, result, block_id):
-        if result['status'] == self.bigchain.BLOCK_UNDECIDED:
-            return
-        elif result['status'] == self.bigchain.BLOCK_INVALID:
-            event_type = EventTypes.BLOCK_INVALID
-        elif result['status'] == self.bigchain.BLOCK_VALID:
-            event_type = EventTypes.BLOCK_VALID
+        if self.event_handler:
+            if result['status'] == self.bigchain.BLOCK_UNDECIDED:
+                return
+            elif result['status'] == self.bigchain.BLOCK_INVALID:
+                event_type = EventTypes.BLOCK_INVALID
+            elif result['status'] == self.bigchain.BLOCK_VALID:
+                event_type = EventTypes.BLOCK_VALID
 
-        event = Event(event_type, {'block_id': block_id})
-        self.event_handler.put_event(event)
+            event = Event(event_type, {'block_id': block_id})
+            self.event_handler.put_event(event)
 
 
-def create_pipeline(events_queue):
-    election = Election(events_queue)
+def create_pipeline(events_queue=None):
+    election = Election(events_queue=events_queue)
 
     election_pipeline = Pipeline([
         Node(election.check_for_quorum),
@@ -98,8 +101,8 @@ def get_changefeed():
     return backend.get_changefeed(connection, 'votes', ChangeFeed.INSERT)
 
 
-def start(events_queue):
-    pipeline = create_pipeline(events_queue)
+def start(events_queue=None):
+    pipeline = create_pipeline(events_queue=events_queue)
     pipeline.setup(indata=get_changefeed())
     pipeline.start()
     return pipeline
diff --git a/bigchaindb/processes.py b/bigchaindb/processes.py
index 687422ca..5194c05a 100644
--- a/bigchaindb/processes.py
+++ b/bigchaindb/processes.py
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ def start():
     stale.start()
 
     logger.info('Starting election')
-    election.start(events_queue)
+    election.start(events_queue=events_queue)
 
     # start the web api
     app_server = server.create_server(bigchaindb.config['server'])
diff --git a/tests/test_processes.py b/tests/test_processes.py
index bd69d52c..32d784bb 100644
--- a/tests/test_processes.py
+++ b/tests/test_processes.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 from unittest.mock import patch
 
-from multiprocessing import Process
+from multiprocessing import Process, Queue
 from bigchaindb.pipelines import vote, block, election, stale
 
 
@@ -9,14 +9,16 @@ from bigchaindb.pipelines import vote, block, election, stale
 @patch.object(block, 'start')
 @patch.object(vote, 'start')
 @patch.object(Process, 'start')
-def test_processes_start(mock_vote, mock_block, mock_election, mock_stale,
-                         mock_process):
+def test_processes_start(mock_process, mock_vote, mock_block, mock_election,
+                         mock_stale):
     from bigchaindb import processes
 
     processes.start()
 
     mock_vote.assert_called_with()
     mock_block.assert_called_with()
-    mock_election.assert_called_with()
     mock_stale.assert_called_with()
     mock_process.assert_called_with()
+    assert mock_election.call_count == 1
+    # the events queue is declared inside processes.start()
+    assert type(mock_election.call_args[1]['events_queue']) == type(Queue())