LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Dominion Voting Systems has a new owner — a former Republican elected official — which prompted one Channel 13 viewer to write us and ask if Nevada would still use that equipment.
The short answer is yes.
Watch: But there's a lot more to the story.
First, yes, Dominion has been purchased by Scott Leiendecker, a former St. Louis, Mo., elections official who was originally tapped to look into voting irregularities during the 2000 election.
That year, then-Vice President Al Gore went up against then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush, an election that came down to the state of Florida. Bush was ultimately declared the winner, after the U.S. Supreme Court ordered an end to a recount of Florida ballots.
Leiendecker was later appointed as elections director for St. Louis.
Dominion was purchased under a company called Liberty Vote.
But long before buying Dominion, Leiendecker was already working with Nevada through his other company, KNOWiNK, helping to set up the statewide voter registration system and supplying the electronic poll books used to check in voters at election centers.
Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar, a Democrat, said Thursday that Leiendecker's been helpful to him and clerks around the state.
"I've been working with Scott for the last 2.5 years, as we implemented the statewide voter registration and election management system," Aguilar said. "Scott always stood up and said, 'Yes, this is an issue. We will fix it,' and he's done it with such urgency and diligence that I'm really impressed with his leadership style."
Aguilar said the individual counties in Nevada actually run the elections, and make their own selections of voting equipment. But that equipment must meet the standards set by the Election Assistance Commission and the Legislature, and they are audited in each election to make sure they're functioning properly.
"We have one of the highest standards when it comes to the audit of our machines, the testing, the certification of our machines," Aguilar said.
Not only that, but starting in 2026, voters in Clark County will see a new innovation designed to increase transparency: a ballot-marking device that will print the voter's selections, a document that can be double-checked before it's fed directly into a tabulation machine.
Watch: Big change coming for Nevada voting in 2026 election cycle
Aguilar said he appreciates Leiendecker's work in the elections field, which does not have a lot of competition because of the costs involved in running elections.
"Scott has stepped up and is innovating," Aguilar said. "He's modernizing. He's making the investment. The fact that he's purchased Dominion? Yes, you know, he did. You can be Republican or Democrat in business, but the fact [is] that he has always been honest."
Aguilar said that KNOWiNK and Dominion will remain separate companies under Leiendecker.
On its website, Liberty Vote has posted a message from Leiendecker addressed to "my fellow Americans."
"Our mission is clear: every vote must be secure, fair, and verifiable," the message reads.
"I have spent my life working to strengthen America's elections. That commitment began years ago, in the aftermath of the 2000 election, when I worked for the Missouri Secretary of State. Later, as Election Director in St. Louis, I led the effort to modernize outdated systems and rebuild public trust.
"With Liberty Vote, we are building on that legacy. We are turning the page and beginning the vital work of restoring faith in American elections. While these changes will not happen overnight, Liberty Vote's mission is rooted in American values and committed to transparency, independent audits, and verifiable paper records."
Dominion has seen some high-profile headlines in the past: The company sued Fox News for defamation after several shows on the network repeated lies about voting machines switching votes from Republican Donald Trump to Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 election. Dominion won a $787 million judgment in that lawsuit in 2023.
In addition, Newsmax settled a similar lawsuit with Dominion for $67 million in August.
The company's voting machines were used in 27 states in the 2024 elections.
"I think, look, if the product is solid, they're making the investment in the end," Aguilar said of Dominion. "Innovation, they're delivering the results that you expect and meeting the high standards that we have set at the state level and the federal level. We have to look at the product and what is being achieved and how it's servicing the average Nevadan."
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