A critical security incident involving voting equipment passwords has thrust Colorado's election integrity into the spotlight just hours before polls close.
According to the Denver Post, the Libertarian Party of Colorado filed a lawsuit seeking hand-counting of ballots in over 30 counties after passwords for election equipment were accidentally leaked through the Secretary of State's website.
The password breach, discovered by former Air Force officer Shawn Smith on October 24, affected 34 of Colorado's 64 counties. Secretary of State Jena Griswold's office confirmed the leak occurred when a spreadsheet containing a hidden tab with the passwords was posted online on June 21.
Legal Battle Over Election Security Measures
District Court Judge Kandace Gerdes presided over a four-hour hearing Monday to address the Libertarian Party's concerns. The party's lawsuit not only demands manual ballot counting but also calls for the destruction of affected election equipment.
State officials maintain that the leaked passwords alone cannot compromise voting systems. First Deputy Attorney General LeeAnn Morrill emphasized that physical access and additional passwords would be necessary to breach the equipment.
Matt Crane, who leads the Colorado County Clerks Association, acknowledged the legitimacy of security concerns while expressing confidence in existing safeguards. He warned that some Republican officials were already preparing to challenge ballot certification.
Investigation and Response to Security Breach
Griswold announced plans to hire Garnett Powell Maximon Barlow & Farbes law firm to conduct an external investigation into the incident. The timeline for this inquiry remains undetermined.
Christopher Beall, Griswold's deputy, testified that officials are reviewing 24-hour surveillance footage to identify any unauthorized access to voting equipment. These monitoring protocols were implemented following previous security incidents.
Secretary Griswold addressed the situation by stating:
We discovered an error that is regrettable and took as thoughtful and measured of steps to address it, in an atmosphere that is full of threats and disinformation
Political Tensions and Legislative Actions
The password leak has intensified existing political divisions. Sen. Kevin Van Winkle, a Republican from Highlands Ranch, requested an emergency Legislative Audit Committee meeting to assess potential system compromises.
Democratic Representative Andrew Boesenecker expressed skepticism about the urgency of the request. He stated:
With all respect to Sen. Van Winkle, it's really hard to understand this request as anything other than a partisan request to undermine voters' confidence, and I think that's the last thing we need to be doing in this moment
The committee ultimately voted along party lines against holding an emergency session, though the matter may be addressed during their regular December meeting.
Moving Forward Through Security Challenges
All compromised passwords have been reset, and multiple security layers remain in place to protect election integrity. Colorado's voting system continues to use paper ballots, with risk-limiting audits comparing physical ballots to machine-tallied results. The incident has highlighted ongoing tensions between election security measures and political discourse. While Griswold's office works to maintain public trust, the investigation into how the passwords were accidentally exposed continues alongside the election process.
