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Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

Does the US depend on three private companies for its voting equipment?

By Bakar Wilson
YES

More than 90% of U.S. voters use systems developed by one of three privately-owned companies, according to a 2016 Wharton School report. Wharton estimates their total revenue to be about $300 million. The vendors receive little federal oversight aside from voluntary testing of functional requirements, relatively relaxed oversight compared with what the government gives, say, military equipment, a report by the Brennan Center for Justice notes.

One of the three, Dominion Voting, publicly denied a range of false claims about its performance in the Nov. 3 elections, including allegations of ties to prominent Democratic leaders or donors. The company, founded in Canada and now based in Colorado, noted that post-election scrutiny in Arizona, Michigan and Georgia (where the state reviewed every vote) has confirmed the security of its systems and the accuracy of its tabulations.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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