In a stunning reversal, Democratic activists and lawmakers are calling for the removal of voting machines once defended by their party, following the acquisition of Dominion Voting Systems by a firm led by a former Republican election official. The company, rebranded as Liberty Vote, has pledged to align with President Trump’s executive order on election integrity—prompting accusations of partisan tampering and renewed pushes for a nationwide shift to paper ballots.
The controversy erupted after Liberty Vote announced on October 9 that it had acquired Dominion, a major provider of election technology used in 28 states during the 2024 cycle. The new owner, Scott Leiendecker—a former GOP elections director in St. Louis who now heads electronic poll book vendor KnowInk—outlined plans to prioritize “hand-marked paper ballots,” domestic software development, and third-party audits, explicitly referencing compliance with Trump’s March 2025 executive order on voting security. That order, which mandates verifiable paper records and restricts certain electronic systems, remains stalled in federal courts amid lawsuits from Democratic attorneys general and civil rights groups.
“This is a blatant attempt to MAGA-fy our elections,” said Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) in a statement shared widely on X, where she urged states to “ditch these machines immediately and go back to paper ballots that can’t be reprogrammed overnight.” Her comments echoed a growing chorus among progressive influencers and Democratic operatives, who previously dismissed Trump’s fraud claims against Dominion as baseless conspiracy theories. Now, with Leiendecker at the helm, skeptics warn of “backdoor rigging” favoring Republican outcomes.
From Defenders to Detractors: The Flip on Dominion
Dominion’s machines became a flashpoint after the 2020 election, when Trump and allies like Rudy Giuliani falsely accused them of flipping votes through foreign software ties—claims that led to $787 million in settlements from Fox News and $67 million from Newsmax. Democrats, including President Biden’s administration, staunchly backed the company’s integrity, with officials like Nevada’s Democratic Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar praising vendors for transparency.
But the sale to Liberty Vote—financed privately by Leiendecker for an undisclosed sum—has flipped the script. On X, viral clips from right-leaning outlets like Right Angle News Network show Democratic users and podcasters decrying the rebrand as a “Trojan horse for voter suppression.” One widely shared video, viewed over 2.8 million times, features Rep. Crockett and others arguing that “if a Trump crony owns the machines, we need paper—period.”
Prominent voices amplified the call: Podcaster Jeff Clabault tweeted, “Why trust anything tied to the emperor of corruption? Paper ballots now!” Activist Benjamin P added, “Dems will want paper ballots now that Dominion’s bought by a conservative—karma’s a beach.” By Monday, #BanLibertyVote trended with over 150,000 posts, many linking to threads compiling Democratic endorsements for hand-counted paper systems.
Leiendecker, who served as St. Louis elections director from 2005 to 2012, insists the move is apolitical. “Liberty Vote is about rebuilding trust through transparency, not partisanship,” he said in a release, noting that 98% of U.S. jurisdictions already produce auditable paper trails. The company has settled Dominion’s remaining defamation suits against Trump allies as part of the deal, a move critics like Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) called “a white flag to election deniers.”
A Strategic Trap? Republicans Revel in the Reversal
Conservatives are gleefully pointing out the irony, framing it as a masterstroke by Trump allies to force Democrats into supporting GOP priorities like same-day voting and paper audits. “Trump gets a Republican to buy Dominion, and suddenly Dems hate machines they swore by—brilliant,” tweeted user @AnthonyDiChiar1, whose post racked up thousands of likes. Comedian and commentator Jack Posobiec quipped, “But I was told electronic voting was safe and secure,” quoting the viral Right Angle video.
The push aligns with Trump’s SAVE Act, which mandates proof of citizenship, voter ID, and paper records—legislation stalled in the Senate but gaining traction post-sale. Election experts note that while paper ballots enhance verifiability, a full switch could delay results in large states and strain resources, though advocates argue it’s essential for “fraud-proof” democracy.
Liberty Vote’s website now redirects from Dominion’s, and the firm vows no immediate hardware changes ahead of 2026 midterms. However, blue states like California and New York are reviewing contracts, with officials citing “potential conflicts of interest.”
Echoes of 2020 and the Road to 2026
This saga revives ghosts of 2020, when Dominion’s systems faced death threats and harassment from fraud believers. Now, with roles reversed, the debate underscores America’s polarized trust in elections: A March 2025 Pew poll showed 65% of Democrats view electronic systems as secure, versus 35% of Republicans—gaps that could widen if Liberty Vote’s reforms roll out.
As midterm primaries loom, the paper ballot clamor could reshape state laws. “If Dems want paper, let’s make it law—with ID and one day only,” urged Kari Lake, Trump’s nominee for Arizona secretary of state. For now, the acquisition has turned a technical sale into a political Rorschach test: For one side, it’s salvation; for the other, sabotage.
Liberty Vote did not respond to requests for comment on the backlash. With courts still weighing Trump’s order, the fight over America’s vote may be just rebooting.
