The system is directed to a plurality of nodes in a network and a process by which the nodes reach a consensus ordering of broadcast messages. For example, one or more nodes proceed by agreeing on an order of two or more broadcast message derived events A and B. If a node sees event A longer than a time period (T6) before seeing event B, then the node outputs “A consensus-before B” as a consensus broadcast ordering. If the node sees the event A and not the event B after waiting at least T6, then the node outputs “A consensus-before B” as a consensus broadcast ordering. However, if the node sees both events A and event B within T6, then the node broadcasts a request for a vote on message ordering, executes a consensus broadcast reception protocol for the votes, and makes an ordering decision based on the votes received.