Boulder County Reaffirms Election Security Amid Mesa Breach

BOULDER COUNTY, CO — As an elections security investigation continues in Mesa County, elections offices across Colorado are reassuring voters of their own security.

The Colorado secretary of state's office began inspecting election equipment in Mesa County Tuesday after user passwords and accounts were leaked, state officials said. An unauthorized person participated in a software update of the Mesa County voting system, the office said.

"Part of the investigation includes a concern that passwords associated with its system, which were only authorized for use by State and Mesa County officials, were posted on a conspiracy website," read a statement from Molly Fitzpatrick, Boulder County clerk and recorder.

"Because of the break in secure chain of custody, last week the Secretary of State’s office decertified Mesa County’s voting system. Because the equipment is decertified and unusable, Mesa County Elections will have to purchase new voting equipment to establish secure chain of custody or conduct a hand count for the 2021 Coordinated Election," the statement read, in part.

Fitzpatrick reassured local voters that the Mesa County case is an isolated incident.

"We want to assure Boulder County voters that this in no way impacts the integrity of our county’s voting system or last year's election results nor should it be a reflection on any other Colorado county clerk's office," she said.

"This appears to be an isolated act by an individual Clerk acting outside the boundaries of Colorado election law and should not stain or cast a shadow on the state's gold-star election system nor disparage the hard-working individuals who work tirelessly in elections offices across the state every year to provide accurate, secure elections results."

Don't miss the latest news updates in Boulder: Free Boulder Patch Newsletters and Email Alerts | Facebook | Twitter

Fitzpatrick said her office "has zero tolerance for threats to election security."

>> View a community briefing on Boulder County elections security here.