Colorado Investigates Stolen Ballots and Fraudulent Votes in Mesa County

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At least 12 stolen ballots were fraudulently cast in rural Mesa County, Colorado, with three counted before officials flagged the issue, Secretary of State Jena Griswold announced Thursday. One additional fraudulent ballot was intercepted when a voter, alerted by an electronic notice, informed the clerk they had not received their ballot.

Eight of the ballots were identified and stopped during signature verification. Because ballots are unsigned once removed from their envelopes, the three that were counted cannot be retrieved. Investigators, including the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, noted similar signatures on some ballots but withheld details on motives.

Mesa County has faced election issues recently, with former clerk Tina Peters sentenced for a data breach related to unproven claims of voter fraud. Current Clerk Bobbi Gross expressed concerns about Griswold’s public disclosure, arguing that it could interfere with the investigation, though she also emphasized Mesa County’s commitment to election transparency.