By HCA Staff Report
As Colorado voters open their mailboxes this month, another election story is unfolding behind the scenes. On October 9, 2025, Dominion Voting Systems — the company that supplies ballot-scanning equipment in most Colorado counties — was purchased by a new, U.S.-based firm called Liberty Vote.
The timing raised eyebrows: ballots for the Nov. 4 coordinated election were already being mailed, and counties were running final system checks. Many voters questioned whether the sale could mean new software, ownership interference, or last-minute “upgrades.”
By October 4, every Colorado county was required to complete the legally mandated Logic & Accuracy testing that verifies each voting machine counts correctly. After testing, counties apply numbered seals to each unit and lock the election database. Changing software or settings at that point would void certification and require a full re-test — something the law does not permit this close to an election.
Under Colorado law (C.R.S. 1-7-509 and Rule 11.3.2), once counties complete Logic & Accuracy testing, the machines are sealed and cannot be altered before canvass. Ballots for the November 4, 2025 coordinated election began mailing on October 11, meaning all systems had been tested, locked, and secured more than a week before voters received them.
While vendors provide hardware and software, counties physically control the devices during voting and tabulation. The Colorado Secretary of State oversees statewide certification and security audits, while the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) maintains national testing standards and holds a copy of every certified system’s source code in escrow.
Even if a vendor changed hands or closed its doors, counties would continue using the same certified software already in their possession. Maintenance staff from Liberty Vote or Dominion cannot access sealed machines during the election window.
Liberty Vote is led by Scott Leiendecker, a former Missouri elections director and founder of the electronic-poll-book company KNOWiNK. The company states that its goal is to bring all Dominion operations under American ownership and to increase transparency and voter confidence.
Public filings show Liberty Vote inherits Dominion’s existing contracts, staff, and technology. The purchase price and financing terms have not been publicly disclosed.
Election analysts note that this acquisition is largely administrative for now. Contracts and certifications remain under the same terms through the November 2025 election. Any substantive equipment changes would require fresh testing and state re-certification, a process that typically takes several months.
Dominion’s high-profile defamation suits — including its $787 million settlement with Fox News and ongoing cases against MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell — remain active and now transfer to Liberty Vote’s control. These lawsuits are civil matters between private parties and do not affect certified election equipment in use for the 2025 election.
Colorado has used Dominion’s paper-ballot scanners and tabulation software since 2016, relying on risk-limiting audits to verify results after every election. Counties mail hand-marked paper ballots to all active voters, and every vote can be checked against a physical paper trail.
As of October 11, ballots are in the mail. Counting equipment is sealed until public testing resumes on Election Day, and post-election audits will again compare a random sample of paper ballots to machine tallies.
While nothing can change before this year’s election, Liberty Vote’s acquisition sets up a new round of reviews next year. States that use Dominion equipment will decide whether to re-certify the same systems under the new corporate name, require additional security testing, or rebid contracts entirely.
Election-law specialists expect those discussions in early 2026. For now, the machines tabulating Colorado’s votes are the same ones that passed testing weeks ago, regardless of who owns the company behind them.
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