Honestly, if you’ve spent any time on the internet over the last few years, you’ve probably heard more about Dominion Voting Systems than you ever wanted to know. It’s wild how a company that basically makes scanners and printers became a household name—and not always for the best reasons. People get really fired up about this. But behind the noise and the lawsuits, there’s a very practical question: where is this equipment actually sitting on election day?
Knowing what states use Dominion voting machines isn't just for trivia night. It's about understanding the literal nuts and bolts of how American democracy functions in 2026. Despite the massive headlines and some local pushback, Dominion is still the second-largest player in the game. They haven't gone anywhere.
The Big Picture: Dominion's Footprint
As of early 2026, Dominion equipment is used in 27 states and Puerto Rico. That number has held surprisingly steady, even though some individual counties have made a big show of trying to ditch them. It's not a "one-size-fits-all" situation either. In some places, the entire state uses them. In others, it’s just a few counties while the neighbors use machines from competitors like ES&S or Hart InterCivic.
It’s kinda like phone brands. Some people are team iPhone, some are team Android, and some cities just signed a ten-year contract with a specific provider and they're stuck with it until the budget allows for a change.
The "All-In" States
A few states have gone "statewide" with Dominion. This means the Secretary of State or the election board decided to buy one system for every single precinct in the state to keep things uniform.
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- Georgia: This is the big one. After 2019, Georgia switched to Dominion for the whole state. They use the ImageCast X ballot marking devices (BMD).
- Louisiana: They've used Dominion for a long time, though they are often in the news for looking at upgrades or different security requirements.
- Nevada: Another statewide partner. If you're voting in Vegas or Reno, you're likely touching a Dominion screen.
- New Mexico: They use them for tabulation across the board.
The County-by-County Patchwork
Most of the U.S. doesn't do things "statewide." Instead, it’s up to the local county clerk or the board of supervisors. This is why you’ll see Dominion in some of the biggest hubs in the country, even if the state's rural areas use something else.
California is a perfect example. It’s a total mix. Huge counties like Alameda, Contra Costa, and Riverside use Dominion ImageCast systems. Then you look at Florida, where it’s a divided house. About 18 counties—including places like Palm Beach and Leon—rely on Dominion, while the rest of the state mostly uses ES&S.
In Michigan and Wisconsin, it’s a similar story. It's a patchwork. You might drive across a county line and suddenly the machines look completely different. In Pennsylvania, major areas like Erie and Montgomery counties have stayed with Dominion through 2025 and into this 2026 cycle.
Why Some States Said "No"
You can't talk about what states use Dominion voting machines without mentioning Texas. Texas is the biggest outlier. The Texas Secretary of State’s office has actually rejected several of Dominion’s newer "Democracy Suite" versions. They cited specific hardware and software requirements that they felt weren't met. So, while you might find older tech in a few tiny spots, Texas is largely a Dominion-free zone for their major elections.
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Then there’s the political fallout. In places like Shasta County, California, local officials tried to cancel their Dominion contracts entirely. It turned into a massive legal and financial headache because, turns out, switching your entire county’s voting infrastructure isn't as easy as switching from Netflix to Hulu. It costs millions of dollars and involves mountains of certification paperwork.
What's Changing in 2026?
There was a huge shockwave in late 2025 when a surprise deal was announced: Dominion Voting Systems was sold to a private investment group led by a former Republican official. This move was basically a "reset button" intended to lower the political temperature.
Because of this change in ownership, some of the states that were thinking about leaving have actually stayed put. They’re waiting to see if the "new" Dominion is any different from the old one. Meanwhile, the technology itself is moving toward VVPAT (Voter Verified Paper Audit Trails). Basically, even if you use a screen, it spits out a piece of paper you can look at before you drop it in the box.
Real-World Usage List
To make it simple, here is a general breakdown of where you'll find Dominion hardware or software active right now:
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- Full Statewide Adoption: Georgia, Nevada, New Mexico, Louisiana.
- Heavy County Usage: California, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin.
- Significant but Limited Presence: Arizona (notably Maricopa County), Florida, Minnesota, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee.
- Scattered or Legacy Use: Alaska, Connecticut, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, Virginia.
Misconceptions You Should Probably Ignore
People think the machines "talk" to each other over the internet. In almost every jurisdiction using Dominion, the machines are air-gapped. That’s a fancy way of saying they aren't plugged into the web. Results are usually carried on encrypted thumb drives from the machine to a central tabulator.
Another weird one is that the software is "foreign." While the company has roots in Canada, the version used in U.S. elections is developed and certified right here under federal Election Assistance Commission (EAC) guidelines.
How to Verify for Your Own Area
If you really want to know what’s happening in your backyard, don't just take a map's word for it. Every county is required by law to disclose their equipment.
- Check your County Clerk’s website: Look for the "Elections" or "Registrar" tab. They usually have photos of the machines so you know what to expect when you walk into the booth.
- Verified Voting: This is a non-partisan site that has a literal map of every county in the U.S. and what tech they use. It’s the gold standard for this kind of data.
- Poll Watching: Most states allow you to observe the testing of the machines (called Logic and Accuracy testing) before the election. It’s a great way to see how the "black box" actually works.
Understanding the landscape of what states use Dominion voting machines is mostly about realizing how decentralized our elections are. There is no "master switch" in D.C. It’s a messy, local, and very human process.
Actionable Next Steps:
Locate your specific county's election board website to confirm the hardware model they use. If they use Dominion or a similar digital interface, check if your precinct uses Hand-Marked Paper Ballots or Ballot Marking Devices (BMDs), as this determines whether you’ll be using a pen or a touchscreen to make your initial selection. Lastly, if you have concerns about the process, sign up to be a poll worker for the 2026 midterms—it's the only way to see the security chain of custody with your own eyes.