### Colorado Officials Investigate Interception and Fraudulent Casting of Mail-In Ballots

Authorities in Colorado are investigating an alarming incident involving over a dozen intercepted and fraudulently cast mail-in ballots on the Western Slope, as reported by the Colorado Secretary of State's Office. Notably, three of these fraudulent ballots were counted before election officials could remove them from the final vote tally.

The problematic ballots came to light during the signature verification process, a routine security measure designed to ensure the authenticity of mail-in votes. According to Secretary of State Jena Griswold, these ballots were filled out, signed, and returned via a USPS blue mailbox, rather than official ballot drop boxes. The Colorado Department of State was alerted to the situation on Tuesday.

Griswold explained that four of the intercepted ballots initially passed the signature verification process. At least three voters from Mesa County reported discrepancies, highlighting that they neither received nor cast their ballots. Two of these voters were asked by Mesa County officials to cure their ballots by fixing their signatures after they were flagged by the verification system.

A closer examination by Mesa County Clerk Bobbie Gross revealed that the compromised ballots were dispatched in close succession and, in some cases, bore signatures from the same individual. Gross immediately handed the investigation over to the 21st Judicial District Attorney, who has since initiated a criminal probe. The U.S. Postal Service is also conducting its own investigation into the matter.

Matt Crane, Executive Director of the Colorado County Clerks Association, emphasized the robustness of Colorado's election security measures, including rigorous signature verification and the BallotTrax system, which notifies voters when their ballots have been received and alerts them if there's an issue with their signature.

Griswold reassured the public that Colorado's elections remain secure, attributing the swift detection of this fraud attempt to the state's advanced election tools. She reiterated that voter fraud, intimidation, and harassment are illegal and will be thoroughly investigated.

This incident follows the recent sentencing of former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, who was given nine years of incarceration for her role in a 2020 election interference case. Peters had falsely claimed that the election results were tainted by manipulated voting machines.

The ongoing investigations underline the importance of maintaining and enhancing election security measures to prevent and promptly address any attempts at voter fraud.