I would recommend a dumbed down NAS device with at least two disks in case of hardware failure. And don't connect it to the internet.

Windows is mild in comparison. Check out what google knows about you - https://takeout.google.com/

I get how they can monitor the ip addresses and connections to and from. But how did they determine the vote switching? Do they have the data that was transferred?

I'm going to give that anchor the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he got so sick of having to swallow his journalistic integrity and spout the talking points of his corporate master that he got fed up and walked off the set.