diff --git a/bigchaindb/backend/localmongodb/query.py b/bigchaindb/backend/localmongodb/query.py
index 20666266..b7b21d8d 100644
--- a/bigchaindb/backend/localmongodb/query.py
+++ b/bigchaindb/backend/localmongodb/query.py
@@ -278,13 +278,15 @@ def get_pre_commit_state(conn, commit_id):
 
 
 @register_query(LocalMongoDBConnection)
-def store_validator_set(conn, validator_update):
-    try:
-        return conn.run(
-            conn.collection('validators')
-            .insert_one(validator_update))
-    except DuplicateKeyError:
-        raise MultipleValidatorOperationError('Validator update already exists')
+def store_validator_set(conn, validators_update):
+    height = validators_update['height']
+    return conn.run(
+        conn.collection('validators').update_one(
+            {"height": height},
+            {"$set": validators_update},
+            upsert=True
+        )
+    )
 
 
 @register_query(LocalMongoDBConnection)
diff --git a/bigchaindb/core.py b/bigchaindb/core.py
index 31058ffa..bfcc97e9 100644
--- a/bigchaindb/core.py
+++ b/bigchaindb/core.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ from abci.types_pb2 import (
 
 from bigchaindb import BigchainDB
 from bigchaindb.tendermint_utils import (decode_transaction,
+                                         public_key_to_base64,
                                          calculate_hash)
 from bigchaindb.lib import Block, PreCommitState
 from bigchaindb.backend.query import PRE_COMMIT_ID
@@ -135,6 +136,8 @@ class App(BaseApplication):
         # TODO: calculate if an election has concluded
         # NOTE: ensure the local validator set is updated
         validator_updates = self.bigchaindb.get_validator_update(self.block_transactions)
+        validator_set = new_validator_set(self.bigchaindb, self.new_height, validator_updates)
+        self.bigchaindb.store_validator_set(self.new_height+1, validator_set)
         validator_updates = [encode_validator(v) for v in validator_updates]
 
         # Store pre-commit state to recover in case there is a crash
@@ -180,7 +183,21 @@ def encode_validator(v):
 
 
 def decode_validator(v):
-    return {'address': codecs.encode(v.address, 'hex').decode().upper().rstrip('\n'),
-            'pub_key': {'type': v.pub_key.type,
+    return {'pub_key': {'type': v.pub_key.type,
                         'data': codecs.encode(v.pub_key.data, 'base64').decode().rstrip('\n')},
             'voting_power': v.power}
+
+
+def new_validator_set(bigchain, height, updates):
+    validators = bigchain.get_validators(height)
+    validators_dict = {}
+    for v in validators:
+        validators_dict[v['pub_key']['data']] = v
+
+    updates_dict = {}
+    for u in updates:
+        updates_dict[u['public_key']] = {'pub_key': {'type': 'ed25519',
+                                                     'data': public_key_to_base64(u['public_key']) },
+                                         'voting_power': u['power']}
+    new_validators_dict = {**validators_dict, **updates_dict}
+    return list(new_validators_dict.values())
diff --git a/bigchaindb/lib.py b/bigchaindb/lib.py
index 444e56d4..ebc549c8 100644
--- a/bigchaindb/lib.py
+++ b/bigchaindb/lib.py
@@ -465,9 +465,6 @@ class BigchainDB(object):
     def get_validators(self, height=None):
         result = backend.query.get_validator_set(self.connection, height)
         validators = result['validators']
-        for v in validators:
-            v.pop('address')
-
         return validators
 
     def get_validator_update(self, txns):
diff --git a/tests/upsert_validator/test_validator_election_vote.py b/tests/upsert_validator/test_validator_election_vote.py
index fa3d6296..ad77784f 100644
--- a/tests/upsert_validator/test_validator_election_vote.py
+++ b/tests/upsert_validator/test_validator_election_vote.py
@@ -226,8 +226,7 @@ def test_upsert_validator(b, node_key, node_keys, new_validator, ed25519_node_ke
     conn = connect()
     (node_pub, _) = list(node_keys.items())[0]
 
-    validators = [{'address': 'some_address',
-                   'pub_key': {'type': 'ed25519',
+    validators = [{'pub_key': {'type': 'ed25519',
                                'data': node_pub},
                    'voting_power': 10}]
 
@@ -241,6 +240,7 @@ def test_upsert_validator(b, node_key, node_keys, new_validator, ed25519_node_ke
 
     power = 1
     public_key = '9B3119650DF82B9A5D8A12E38953EA47475C09F0C48A4E6A0ECE182944B24403'
+    public_key64 = public_key_to_base64(public_key)
     new_validator = {'public_key': public_key,
                      'node_id': 'some_node_id',
                      'power': power}
@@ -266,7 +266,13 @@ def test_upsert_validator(b, node_key, node_keys, new_validator, ed25519_node_ke
     for v in resp.json()['result']['validators']:
         validator_pub_keys.append(v['pub_key']['value'])
 
-    assert (public_key_to_base64(public_key) in validator_pub_keys)
+    assert (public_key64 in validator_pub_keys)
+    new_validator_set = b.get_validators()
+    validator_pub_keys = []
+    for v in new_validator_set:
+        validator_pub_keys.append(v['pub_key']['data'])
+
+    assert (public_key64 in validator_pub_keys)
 
 
 # ============================================================================