Sun Sep 15 13:33:05 UTC 2024: ## Election Officials’ Refusal to Certify Results Fuels Misinformation and Threatens Voter Trust in Colorado
**Denver, CO** – With the November presidential election just two months away, Colorado officials are raising alarm bells about the growing trend of local election canvass board members refusing to certify results. This practice, driven by conservative activists fueled by misinformation, threatens to erode public trust in the election process.
According to the Secretary of State’s office, Republicans on three local canvass boards voted against certifying the June primary results. While a small percentage of the state’s 64 boards, this trend is part of a broader national movement aimed at undermining confidence in elections.
Nikhel Sus, deputy chief counsel at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), argues that these protest votes sow distrust and doubt about the integrity of Colorado’s elections. He warns that this behavior creates a foundation for future challenges to election results, potentially mirroring the January 6th insurrection.
CREW has identified 35 election officials nationwide who have refused to certify results since 2020, including three in Colorado. These officials, often citing concerns about ballot chain of custody and voting machine security, have faced criticism for politicizing the once-mundane task of verifying vote tallies.
Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, has implemented a new law to prevent these tactics from slowing down election administration in Colorado. She maintains that claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election are unfounded and seeks to ensure public confidence in the state’s election system.
While the immediate risk of delayed or derailed post-election processes in Colorado remains low, the message these actions send to the public is concerning. Election officials who refuse to certify undermine voter trust and create a perception of a flawed system.
Local officials emphasize that county-level certification is not the appropriate venue for addressing concerns about election processes. Instead, they urge individuals to address their grievances with the Colorado Legislature.
As the election season heats up, Colorado officials are urging voters to trust the integrity of the election process and to contact their local county clerks for any questions about how ballots are processed and audited.
First Piper 