Colorado Officials Undergo 2020 Elections 'Doomsday' Training

The Colorado Secretary of State's office held an Election Preparedness for Infrastructure and Cybersecurity training event Wednesday in preparation for the 2020 elections. The event was designed to prepare county clerks and other election officials with various "worst-case scenarios" that could potentially impact the election process, the office said.

“With so much at stake in our 2020 elections, preparedness for our key state election officials has never been more important,” Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold said in a statement. “I commend everyone who took part in today’s training and especially our Elections Division for putting on another invaluable training exercise.”

The training included in-person simulations of scenarios that could potentially impact an Election Day — from blizzards to major cybersecurity intrusions. Participants were tested on their decisions and reactions.

The scenarios were either actual incidents that have happened in different elections throughout the country or hypothetical situations rooted in real-world facts, officials said.

Participants then discussed and reviewed each scenario in a group de-brief to determine best practices heading into the 2020 elections.

The purpose of the training was to ensure those on the front lines of the 2020 election are prepared for a host of potential issues that could interfere with a smooth election.

All Colorado counties will oversee three elections in 2020.