(LibertySociety.com) – Election officials in Mesa County, Colorado, launched an investigation this week after discovering at least 12 mail-in ballots for the upcoming 2024 election were stolen and submitted, with several counted as valid votes. Mesa County, a Republican-leaning area in western Colorado, flagged the suspicious ballots on Tuesday after discrepancies were detected through the signature verification process.
One case came to light after a voter, who had not received their ballot, tracked it and found it had already been cast on their behalf. This raised alarms, prompting a deeper look into other ballots.
Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Bobbie Gross, a Republican, assured residents of her commitment to election security, stating, “We are currently investigating attempted election fraud to uphold the integrity of our elections.” Gross emphasized that the investigation is being handled with caution and that sharing details prematurely could hinder efforts to hold those responsible accountable.
Of the 12 flagged ballots, three had already been counted as legitimate votes and cannot be reversed, though affected voters can still cast a new ballot, according to NBC. The ballots initially passed the signature verification process but were then approved by an election judge, who has since been reassigned.
Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, acknowledged that the ballots should not have been counted but commended the system’s signature checks, noting that while the incident was “unfortunate,” the detection mechanisms ultimately worked. Griswold refrained from disclosing which candidates were marked on the affected ballots.
On Thursday, Griswold announced the state’s involvement in the investigation. Gross expressed concern, saying the state’s announcement might impact the local criminal investigation’s progress, stressing the need for discretion to ensure a thorough examination without alerting those involved.
Gross stated, “The people of Mesa County deserve transparency and accountability, but it must be done in a manner that protects the integrity of the investigation.” She added that further information would be shared “when it is responsible to do so.”
Mesa County has already processed over 27,000 votes. The county, which supported former President Donald Trump by a large margin in 2020, is one of several locations nationwide where mail-in voting issues have been reported. A previous Daily Wire report documented cases of ballots being sent to people who had moved or even to deceased individuals, sparking concerns over mail-in voting vulnerabilities ahead of the election.
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