Colorado Election Integrity

Colorado’s election system is widely recognized as one of the best in the country. By working to balance access with security, our system serves as a national model that guarantees all eligible voters can seamlessly cast their ballots in all elections while also ensuring those ballots cast are counted accurately and then entire system remains secure. You can read more about how Colorado’s system works, track your own voter registration and ballot and learn from the experts – Colorado’s county clerks – more about how they protect and provide our right to a fair and free elections, our most sacred right as Americans.

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Looking forward to seeing county clerks at the 2025 Summer Conference.

CCCA Letter to Governor Polis

November 21, 2025

The Honorable Jared Polis
Governor of Colorado
200 E. Colfax Ave
Denver, CO 80203

Dear Governor Polis:

We, the multi-partisan Colorado County Clerks Association, respectfully ask that you not transfer former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters to federal custody.  We also request an in-person meeting with you prior to any decision, so you can hear directly from the election officials who experienced the consequences of Ms. Peters’ actions.

Colorado’s clerks, Republicans, Democrats, and unaffiliated, have spent decades building one of the most accessible, secure, and transparent election systems in the nation. They have done so by following the law exactly as written, preserving all required records, maintaining air-gapped and physically secured systems, enforcing chain-of-custody procedures, and working openly with bipartisan judges, canvass boards, and observers. Every clerk in the state adhered to Colorado’s meticulous certification, audit, and oversight requirements. These officials did their work with professionalism, accuracy, and integrity, even under tremendous pressure.

Ms. Peters was the one clerk who chose not to. Her actions were not mistakes or misunderstandings; they were deliberate violations of Colorado law and/or attempts to undermine public trust. Security cameras in restricted election areas were turned off. Unauthorized individuals were brought into secure spaces under falsified credentials. Established safeguards were bypassed, and routine election procedures were misrepresented as evidence of wrongdoing. None of these actions protected her county; instead, they created vulnerabilities where none had existed and forced Mesa County taxpayers to spend millions replacing compromised equipment and responding to the fallout.

A jury of Mesa County residents examined the evidence, weighed the testimony, and convicted Ms. Peters on multiple felonies and misdemeanors, all tied to her own conduct. Her guilt was not a political determination, nor was it based on policy disagreements or election administration philosophy. It was the result of a lawful judicial process rooted in factual evidence and decided by the community she served.

When the events in Mesa County became public, clerks across Colorado stepped forward to explain the truth: the systems had worked, the safeguards had worked, and Ms. Peters’ claims were not accurate. For doing so, many clerks and their families, including their children, were subjected to harassment, intimidation, and threats, some credible enough to involve law enforcement. We are deeply concerned that, if transferred, Ms. Peters would continue disseminating the same false narratives that have already endangered clerks throughout Colorado and across the country. Her pattern of knowingly repeating false claims, long after they were disproven, has fueled harassment, threats, and intimidation against the very officials who protected the integrity of our elections.

The risks to these public servants would only grow if she were allowed to use a new legal narrative to further these falsehoods. These election professionals stood up for the law, for the truth, and for the voters of Colorado. In return, they endured fear for their safety and reputational attacks that continue even today.

To remove Ms. Peters from Colorado custody now, at the urging of political actors outside our state, would send a deeply damaging message to the clerks who upheld their oath under extraordinarily difficult circumstances. It would imply that accountability for violations of Colorado law can be negotiated or avoided, while those who acted honorably were left to face the consequences alone. It would also undermine the work of Colorado’s prosecutors, jurors, and judicial system, each of whom fulfilled their responsibilities thoroughly and independently.

Because of the significance of this issue for election officials statewide, we ask that you decline any request to transfer Ms. Peters to federal custody. Colorado’s judicial process should be respected, and the sentence imposed by a Colorado court should be carried out under Colorado’s authority. Send a message to all Coloradans, to the nation, and to every public servant watching that this state does not abandon those who do what is right. Courage, integrity, and the law still mean something here.

Colorado’s clerks have demonstrated extraordinary courage throughout this challenging period, upholding the law, defending the truth, protecting the election process, and serving voters despite threats, harassment, and intense political pressure. Now, more than ever, they need your support. We now ask you to show that same courage on behalf of the election officials of this state. 

Governor, please stand firmly with those who honored their oath, safeguarded our democratic institutions, and protected the rule of law.  Doing so will send a powerful message that Colorado does not retreat when the truth is tested. For these reasons, we expect that you will meet personally with Colorado’s clerks before any final decision is made. This personal meeting is crucial to ensure that the voices of those who bore the brunt of these events are fully heard.

Respectfully,

The Colorado County Clerks Association

PRESS RELEASE

Sept. 2, 2025

The Colorado County Clerks Association (CCCA) today reaffirmed the security, transparency, and accessibility of Colorado's voting practices.

(Denver, CO, Sept. 2, 2025) -- Denver, CO- In response to recent criticism from President Trump, the Association emphasized that Colorado's mail-in voting system is safe, secure, and fair.

“It is deeply ironic that President Trump made a decision about the Space Force based on Colorado’s election model, yet moved it to Alabama, a state whose system provides neither the access nor the security that Colorado’s does,” said Matt Crane, Executive Director of the CCCA.

 “In 2013, Colorado’s county clerks, at the time, the vast majority of them Republicans, designed and championed the nation’s first modern mail ballot system. Their work laid the foundation for what is now recognized as the most reliable, transparent, and accessible election model in the country. Our system was deliberately structured to serve Republicans, Democrats, and Independents alike, ensuring that seniors, military personnel, and every eligible voter can cast a ballot safely and securely.

"Colorado’s model is proof that strong access and strong security can coexist. Voters can track their ballots online and know with certainty that their votes are counted. Independent audits after every election confirm the accuracy of our results, safeguards that states like Alabama simply do not have. In fact, the Washington Post has called Colorado the safest state in which to cast a ballot.”

 Colorado has consistently been recognized as a national leader in election security and voter access. The state’s election system includes:

• Mail Ballots for Every Voter – All registered voters receive a mail-in ballot, allowing them time to study the issues and vote at their convenience.

• Multiple Voting Options – Secure ballot drop boxes, in-person vote centers, and accessible voting for individuals with disabilities.

• Layered Security – Ballot tracking, signature verification, and post-election audits that confirm accuracy.For more than two years, county clerks across Colorado have worked to dispel mis and disinformation about elections and continue to do so today. Voters can help them by reaching out to their county clerk for official information if they have questions about what they are seeing online and sharing that accurate information in their communities.

• Transparency and Accountability – Public testing of voting equipment and bipartisan oversight at every step of the process.

 “The results speak for themselves,” said Hayle Johnson, CCCA President and Jackson County Clerk and Recorder. “In the 2024 Presidential Election, Colorado achieved 73.1% turnout of eligible voters compared to just 58.8% in Alabama. Colorado leads the nation because our clerks take their responsibility to democracy seriously. They are neighbors and community leaders who work tirelessly to safeguard every ballot and every voter’s voice.”

 Colorado’s unwavering commitment to the principle of separation of powers and its secure, transparent elections reinforces the state’s role as a model for democracy nationwide. By prioritizing voter access and election integrity, Colorado continues to set the standard for how elections should be conducted in a free and fair society.

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