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Sec. of State proceeds with Mesa County lawsuit

Given the quickly approaching deadlines for the November 2021 Coordinated Election, it is paramount that a structure is in place to give Mesa County residents the secure and accessible election they deserve
Community Submission
2020_09_18_LL_sec_state_griswold
In this June 30, 2020, file photo, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold makes a point during a news conference at a mobile voting location in the Swansea neighborhood in Denver. Colorado is expanding its mail-in ballot tracking app so that all voters in the state can use it. Secretary of State Griswold announced Monday, Sept. 14, 2020, that voters in all 64 counties will be able to check the status of their mailed ballots for the 2020 election and receive notifications by phone, email, or text. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

NEWS RELEASE
COLORADO SECRETARY OF STATE JENA GRISWOLD
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Today, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold proceeded with a lawsuit to remove Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters as the Designated Election Official. In the filing, the Office requests that Wayne Williams be appointed as the DEO and Sheila Reiner be appointed as the Director of Elections for Mesa County to ensure the smooth and secure operations of the November 2021 elections.

A Designated Election Official is a person responsible for running elections for a local government, like a municipality or a county. They make determinations regarding elections issues for their municipality or county.

“My priority is ensuring that the voters of Mesa County have accessible and secure elections. With the quickly approaching election, I am taking action to ensure that the county’s election office can provide great elections for Mesa voters,” said Secretary Griswold. “As Secretary of State, I will continue to provide the support and oversight needed to ensure the integrity of Colorado’s elections.”

This legal action is necessary because although the Secretary of State’s Office can require supervision of a county clerk’s conduct, it cannot remove a sitting county clerk from acting as the Designated Election Official. Secretary Griswold’s prior order installed Sheila Reiner as supervisor of the Mesa County Elections and barred two employees from participating in election administration of any kind. This legal action seeks to legally bar Peters from serving as DEO, as she is not fit to serve as the DEO after allowing breaches to election security protocol.

Given the quickly approaching deadlines for the November 2021 Coordinated Election, it is paramount that a structure is in place to give Mesa County residents the secure and accessible election they deserve. The legal action outlines the structure and roles under which Treasurer Reiner and Councilor Williams can operate.

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