# Election Software, Voting Machines, and the Need for Transparency
*2020-11-19*

> Bill Young and John O'Rourke discuss concerns about voting‑machine software, foreign components, and alleged irregularities in the 2020 election, urging a thorough investigation.

## The Software Controversy

Bill opens by noting a recent 90‑minute press conference by former President Trump’s legal team, led by Rudy Giuliani. The team claimed that up to two million votes may have been affected by software owned in part by Venezuelan interests, with data routed through servers in Spain or Germany. Bill finds the idea of U.S. election results being processed overseas “frightening” and stresses the need for a full investigation so such a scenario never repeats.

## Dominion and Its Ties

The hosts explain that roughly 40 % of American voters use voting equipment supplied by three major vendors, with Dominion accounting for over 80 % of those machines. Dominion’s ownership structure includes companies linked to Washington power brokers and a lobbying firm once headed by former Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Components for the machines are sourced from China, raising security concerns. Bill cites a 2019 review by the Brennan Center for Justice that found a lack of vendor oversight in selecting Chinese parts.

## State‑by‑State Issues

Bill lists several states where Dominion equipment is used: Michigan, Georgia, Arizona, Nevada, and others. He notes that Texas rejected Dominion machines three times due to hardware and software deficiencies, while Florida certified the equipment but flagged problems with candidate name display and tabulation. The Philippines also reported source‑code flaws that could alter vote totals. Older machines still run standard Windows operating systems, making them vulnerable to hacking.

## Alleged Vote Manipulation

According to the hosts, the Giuliani team alleged that after election night, vote totals were adjusted in real time—adding 20,000‑plus votes for Trump, then subtracting them and adding them to Biden’s total. They reference a live‑tracking effort by The New York Times that supposedly showed these swings, amounting to about two million votes nationwide. Bill and John express skepticism about the lack of concrete evidence but insist the pattern warrants scrutiny.

## Other Concerns and the Call for Accountability

The conversation turns to additional controversies: alleged involvement of George Soros’s Open Society Foundations in the corporate board of a voting‑machine company; “Sharpie Gate” incidents where ballot‑reading machines failed to read ballots marked with Sharpie pens in several states; and affidavits from election workers claiming pressure to alter or ignore signatures. Both hosts conclude that these examples, whether fully proven or not, illustrate a systemic problem that must be addressed.

*Transparency and rigorous oversight of voting technology are essential to protect the integrity of our elections.*