Two women, including a United States Postal Service (USPS) worker, were arrested in Colorado’s Mesa County for allegedly stealing mail-in ballots and forging votes in an attempt to “test” the voting signature verification system, according to officials and an affidavit.
Investigators from Colorado’s 21st Judicial District Attorney’s Office made the arrests on Nov. 6, according to an announcement from District Attorney Daniel Rubinstein, who stated that the investigation began after reports of unreceived ballots being fraudulently submitted were made by election staff on Oct. 21.
Vicki Stuart and Sally Maxedon, the two women taken into custody, have been charged with identity theft, attempting to influence a public servant, and forgery, according to an arrest affidavit.
Chief investigator James Cannon wrote in the affidavit that the investigation began after Mesa County elections staff received reports of rejected ballots due to signature discrepancies. The affected voters claimed they had never received their ballots, prompting suspicions of mail theft and forgery.
The ballots in question had been mailed from the Mesa County Clerk’s office on Oct. 11, and were intended for delivery in a specific neighborhood serviced by the USPS. However, several voters in that area reported that their ballots were never