What Happened
Copies of Dominion Voting System software used to design ballots, configure voting machines and tally results were posted online for public download after they were likely obtained during Colorado and Michigan’s audits of the 2020 presidential race, the AP reported Aug. 28. The company’s election management systems are used by a total of 30 U.S. states. Federal, state and local authorities are investigating the data leaks.

Why It Matters
An expert cited in the report states that the release gives hackers a “practice environment” to discover vulnerabilities and practice defeating defenses in Dominion's software. Election officials are unable to easily switch out election software since only three vendors control 90% of the U.S. market. While potential hackers would need physical access to voting machines to alter or delete vote totals, the widespread perception that it’s possible is likely to still result in protests and diminished confidence in election results in the United States, including the November 2022 federal midterm elections.

Background
Dominion Voting Systems previously warned against turning over its data for Arizona’s post-election audit, citing the perceived biases of the firm conducting the review. In addition, the data leak in Michigan is believed to be the result of deliberate action on the part of a firm conducting the audit.