(DailyChive.com) – Mesa County, a Republican-leaning area in western Colorado, is investigating voter fraud after discovering that at least 12 mail-in ballots for the 2024 election were stolen and submitted. Some of these ballots were even counted as valid votes, according to a previous investigation.
The issue came to light on Tuesday through signature verification measures used by election officials. One voter flagged the problem after tracking their ballot and realizing it had been cast, even though they never received it.
“I am fully committed to maintaining the security and fairness of our elections. We are now investigating this attempt at fraud,” said Bobbie Gross, the Republican Mesa County Clerk and Recorder.
Three of the stolen ballots were accepted and counted. Although these votes cannot be canceled, the affected voters can still cast replacement ballots, according to NBC. While the signature verification process initially raised concerns, an election judge approved the ballots anyway. That judge has since been reassigned.
Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, acknowledged the issue. She said it was “unfortunate” that the stolen ballots were processed but emphasized that the system’s safeguards had worked. Officials have not revealed who the stolen ballots were cast for or shared further details about the motive behind the fraud.
Griswold announced the investigation on Thursday, though Gross hinted that her statement might interfere with the county’s criminal investigation.
“Our priority is to conduct this investigation with care,” Gross said. “Sharing too much information too soon could hurt our ability to hold the right people accountable.” While Gross understands the Secretary of State’s decision to speak publicly, she stressed that the investigation belongs to the Mesa County community.
“We’ll release more information when it’s responsible to do so,” Gross added. “For now, we must proceed carefully to ensure a fair outcome for everyone.”
More than 27,000 votes have already been counted in Mesa County, which voted for Donald Trump by nearly 30 points in 2020. A previous report found that people in other states had received mail-in ballots intended for former residents or even deceased individuals. Mesa County officials are urging patience as they continue to investigate and have promised to keep the public informed as developments unfold.
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