New election security bill appears to come in response to Mesa County Clerk
DENVER, Colo. (KRDO) - A new state bill on election security has been introduced by Democrats in the legislature. If passed, it will increase the authentication process, making our elections even more secure.
But there's also a second motive behind the new Election Security Act, and it involves controversial Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters.
Working with Senate Democrats, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold is making it clear: What happened in Mesa County can't happen again.
The measures introduced in the bill appear to be in direct response to Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters.
Peters was indicted last week on 10 criminal charges, accused of intentionally causing an election security breach.
"I don't think we were thinking about insider threats before Mesa," said Griswold. "You know, we have lots of safeguards, but the idea that someone elected to uphold elections would try to destroy from within was shocking."
Peters is running against Griswold in 2022 to be Secretary of State. The new bill, if passed, would seem to bring that to a screeching halt. The bill mandates that if you're convicted of an election-related offense, you can't become an election official.
Peters has only been charged in her case and maintains her innocence. However, Pueblo County Clerk Bo Ortiz says he doesn't want to wait for a conviction to make changes.
"She exposed some weaknesses that we had in our security system and rather than wait to see if she's convicted, we're acting progressively to handle that threat from ever happening again," said Ortiz.
The bill also prohibits election hard drive imaging without permission from the Secretary of State, and bars election officials from knowingly spreading misinformation.
Just last week the Colorado GOP asked Tina Peters to suspend her campaign.
KRDO reached out to Peters and the chair of the Colorado GOP on Monday for comment on this bill. GOP chair Kristi Burton-Brown declined to comment, and Peters didn't return our call.
