Trump Official Sought to Ban Dominion Voting Machines in 2023 Plan

A Trump administration official last year explored a plan to ban voting machines used in more than half of U.S. states by seeking to classify their components as national security risks, according to sources familiar with the matter. The effort, which ultimately failed, targeted Dominion Voting Systems equipment.

White House adviser Kurt Olsen, tasked with examining election fraud claims, reportedly spearheaded the proposal. The plan involved asking the Commerce Department to determine if it could restrict Dominion machines by declaring certain components a threat from foreign adversaries. Officials reportedly focused on a long-debunked theory that Dominion systems were compromised by Venezuelan-linked code to manipulate the 2020 election.

The proposal advanced far enough that Commerce Department officials began examining possible legal grounds for such a move last September, sources said. However, the effort collapsed because those pushing the plan did not provide credible evidence to justify it.

Olsen and other officials reportedly sought to replace electronic tabulation with a nationwide system of hand-counted paper ballots. Election security experts have warned that switching...