Dominion Voting Systems Sold and Rebranded as Liberty Vote

What Michigan Counties Need to Know

By Patrice Johnson, Founder and Chair

Michigan Fair Elections Institute

AI was used in the creation of this article.

October 20, 2025

A Missouri-based company has acquired Dominion Voting Systems, one of America’s largest voting equipment providers, and rebranded it as Liberty Vote, raising critical questions for the 65 Michigan counties that rely on these systems.

The sale was announced on October 9, 2025, with Scott Leiendecker, a former Republican election director for the city of St. Louis, purchasing the company for an undisclosed sum. Dominion founder and CEO John Poulos confirmed the acquisition in a brief statement.

Michigan’s Heavy Reliance on Dominion Systems

Michigan uses three different types of vote tabulator machines, but Dominion dominates the landscape. Approximately 78% of Michigan counties (65 out of 83) use Dominion equipment, while Hart systems serve 11 counties (13%) and ES&S

 machines operate in just 7 counties (9%).

The Company’s Controversial History

Dominion became widely known after the 2020 election when it faced accusations of rigging election results. These claims led to multiple defamation lawsuits.

The company’s ownership history shows it was founded in Toronto in 2002 by John Poulos and James Hoover. In 2018, private equity firm Staple Street Capital acquired three-quarters of the company for $38 million.

What the Sale Means for Michigan

Liberty Vote has announced plans to conduct a “top-down review” of Dominion’s equipment ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, stating it would “rebuild or retire” machines as needed. This raises immediate questions for Michigan election officials.

Michigan law requires the Board of State Canvassers to approve any electronic voting system changes. Counties must file an “intent to purchase statement” with the Secretary of State 30 days before any new voting system purchase.

“This announcement raises a lot of questions, questions that I’m sure a lot of states with current Dominion contracts are going to want answers to,” said David Becker in a CNN interview. Becker is the founder of the controversial Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), and he is now with the far-left Center for Election Information Research (CEIR).

Critical Unanswered Questions

Equipment Support: How will Liberty Vote support existing Dominion machines? The company has not disclosed specific maintenance plans for the systems currently deployed across Michigan.

Certification Status: Will Liberty Vote’s review and potential modifications require new state certification? Any substantial changes to equipment or software must be submitted to the Board of State Canvassers (BOSC) for approval. A former 13-year member of the BOSC indicated the board usually defers to the recommendations of the SOS’s Bureau of Elections, but third-party input is valued and appreciated.

On the federal level, Michigan’s current voting systems are operating according to outdated certification standards, VVSG 1.0 or 1.1 standards.  

So questions remain as to what the BOSC will do as a result of the change of ownership and new company Liberty Vote.

Equipment Age: Michigan’s current machines, purchased in 2017-2018 for $82.1 million, are now 7-8 years old. Electronic voting machines typically have a 10 year lifespan, meaning these systems will soon be obsolete. Has the state budgeted to replace these machines, which typically run between $4,270 and $6,975 per precinct? Though the number of precincts in Michigan is constantly changing after the state voted to raise registered voter size to 4,999, in 20234 the state had 4,340 precincts. So, at a median price of $5,750 x 4,340 precincts multiplied by 65% comes out to approximately $16 million.

Looking Ahead

Amid growing evidence of electronic tabulator vulnerabilities, the 65 Michigan counties using these systems face decisions about whether to continue with Liberty Vote, switch to ES&S or Hart systems, use non-electronic tabulators, or even switch to hand counts.

With the 2026 midterm elections approaching, election officials will need answers about equipment security and reliability, support continuity, and whether the new company’s rebranded  systems will meet new certification standards of the Election Administration Commission, as required by state law MCL 168.795a.

Liberty Vote emphasizes being “100% American owned” and references alignment with federal election priorities, but the practical implications for Michigan’s election infrastructure remain unclear and promise to be controversial.

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Patrice Johnson, founder and chair of Michigan Fair Elections, is a former corporate executive, entrepreneur, and author of the national prize winning book, The Fall and Rise of Tyler Johnson. The book is the basis of “Finding Tyler,” which was syndicated nationwide by PBS.