GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KJCT) – Two women were arrested in Mesa County on Nov. 6 after being accused of stealing and fraudulently submitting ballots in Mesa County.
The investigation began the week of October 21, after the Mesa County Elections Office was notified through their vote verification process.
Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold held a press conference on October 24, where she explained more about how the fraud was discovered.
“Signature verification is essentially establishing that the person who voted on the ballot is the person who intended to vote on the ballot,” Griswold said. “A voter also received a notification that there was a problem with his ballot. The voters then contacted the county clerk who initiated this investigation.”
It was originally estimated that there were approximately twelve ballots. Now there could be more than twenty.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the Mesa County District Attorney’s Office.
On November 6, 59-year-old Sally Jane Smith and 64-year-old Vicki Lyn Stuart were arrested by Mesa County Law Enforcement.
DA Senior Investigator Rob Heil interviewed Stuart, who was believed to be a USPS employee delivering ballots on a route where several ballots were allegedly counterfeited.
Smith and Stuart were charged with identity theft, attempting to influence a public official and forgery.
According to Secretary Griswold, a similar incident is being investigated elsewhere in the state.
“We don’t have enough facts to share at this time,” she said. No other information regarding this incident has been released at this time.
Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Bobbie Gross released a statement following the arrests.
“Mesa County Elections recently identified and successfully prevented fraudulent mail-in voting attempts through our signature verification process. We immediately reported this to the 21st Judicial District Office, which led to two arrests today.
I am very grateful for the dedication and thorough efforts of the Attorney General’s Office in addressing this matter. I am proud that our security measures are effective, and we will remain vigilant to ensure the integrity of our elections.
“I am committed to transparency and accountability at every step of the election process so that voters in Mesa County can trust that their ballots are secure.”
More information about these arrests can be found here.
Copyright 2024KKCO. All rights reserved.