Colorado officials have taken swift action to address concerns regarding election security after partial passwords to certain voting machines were inadvertently leaked. The Colorado Department of State acknowledged the presence of partial passwords in a spreadsheet on its website, emphasizing that this incident did not pose an immediate security threat.
To address the situation, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold announced that additional resources are being deployed to voting sites. Colorado Governor Jared Polis has also stepped in to provide state resources to ensure all passwords are changed promptly and to verify the security of voting components.
In response to the incident, the Secretary of State plans to deputize state employees with cybersecurity and technology expertise to oversee the password changes. The goal is to complete the password changes and security verification by Thursday evening.
Governor Polis expressed the state's commitment to ensuring fair and accurate vote counting for the current election and all future elections. The state's county clerks are also commended for their efforts in overseeing the election process with the support of the state.
Despite the incident, Secretary Griswold reassured the public that Colorado's voting systems have numerous security measures in place. She expressed confidence that the swift actions taken will effectively address the situation and prevent any potential tampering with ballots.
Earlier on Thursday, a request from former President Donald Trump's campaign to halt the processing of some mail ballots and potentially re-scan ballots was reported. However, Secretary Griswold stated that the state's security protocols are robust and that the necessary steps have been taken to rectify the inadvertent password leak.
