Mesa County election equipment must be replaced after security breach
MESA COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- Colorado Secretary of State Jenna Griswold says election equipment used in Mesa County might be compromised and needs to be replaced.
In a press conference Thursday, Griswold said 41 pieces of election equipment must go, or all ballots will have to be counted by hand in the next election.
Mesa County will be responsible for the cost of replacing the machines.
According to 9News, this announcement comes after passwords linked to the county's voting system were discovered and published online through a conservative website. The website claims the information came from Ron Watkins, a well-known figure in the QAnon conspiracy theories.
That publication sparked an investigation at the Secretary of State's office. The office believes a security breach happened in May during an update to ensure adequate security for the voting system. During the update, an unauthorized person gained access to voting information.
Additionally, one week before the update, 9News reports Mesa County Clerk and Recorder's office directed staff to turn off surveillance cameras. They weren't turned back on until August.
SOS ordered Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters not to log in to, touch, or access the equipment without permission from the state and urged Peters to not destroy any materials related to the current investigation.
Peters, who's supported election conspiracy theories in the past, told 9News she was advised by the local district attorney to not comment on the investigation.
However, on Tuesday, District Attorney Dan Rubinstein said he never advised Peters or anyone else in her office on the investigation. He also said his office is conducting its own separate criminal investigation on the incident.
Griswold said she couldn't comment when asked if Peters should resign. County Clerks Association Director Matt Crane, a former Republican Arapahoe County Clerk, said it would be premature to say but the decision would ultimately be up to Mesa County voters.
Crane did offer criticism when describing the security breach.
"It was a solo, intentional and selfish act that jeopardized the conduct of and integrity of the elections in Mesa County, and [affects] the confidence of voters throughout the state and the country," he said. "We've heard people say this is a heroic act. To be clear, there is nothing heroic or honorable about what happened in Mesa County. If you want to know who the true heroes are in Colorado elections, it's the other 63 county clerks and their teams."
Griswold said because the breach happened so recently, there was no risk to any state election. However, the Mesa County voting machines could be decertified and would need to be recertified before the next election.
