Local election officials in Mesa County, Colorado, have initiated an investigation following the discovery of at least 12 stolen mail-in ballots for the 2024 election, with some counted as valid votes. On Tuesday, officials in this predominantly Republican county identified the issue through signature verification processes. One particular ballot raised suspicion when a voter tracking their ballot found it had been cast despite the fact they never received it.
Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Bobbie Gross, a Republican, stated that the office is dedicated to maintaining election integrity and is actively investigating the fraud attempt. According to state officials, three ballots were accepted as legitimate votes and cannot be invalidated, but the voters can submit another ballot. It has been acknowledged that the signature verification system flagged these ballots, yet an election judge—now reassigned—approved them.
Jena Griswold—Colorado’s Secretary of State and a Democrat—admitted that counting these ballots was regrettable but insisted the state’s election system functioned as intended. Officials did not disclose which candidates were marked on the affected ballots.
Currently, over 27,000 votes have been counted in Mesa County, a region where former President Donald J. Trump secured a significant victory in 2020.
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