A security breach at the Secretary of State’s Office that has fueled election security concerns has meant new questions for some County Clerks who oversee elections — and more of the same for others.

Earlier this week, the Colorado Secretary of State said: sensitive passwords This document, prepared for voting machines distributed statewide, had been mistakenly posted online for months in a hidden tab of a spreadsheet on the agency’s website.

While Minister of Foreign Affairs Jena Griswold said Passwords alone were not enough to compromise election equipment; It has reinforced concerns, both real and conspiratorial, about the security of upcoming state elections. sue From the Donald Trump campaign to rescan ballots.

Many clerks across the state said their biggest frustration stemmed from delayed communication from the Secretary of State’s Office.

“All clerks are mission-focused right now; making sure we can provide an accurate and safe election for the citizens of Colorado,” said Matt Crane, executive director of the Colorado Clerks Association. “And it’s a huge concern when something like this happens, and it’s frustrating to not be talked about and have to address it all the time when you’re mission-focused.”

Crane said election officials in every county, including those whose passwords were compromised, are ready to respond to the situation.

“One of the things the election community has done over the last six or seven years is do trainings where we go through different things that might come up,” Crane said. “So how would you react if a facility was set on fire or a password was leaked?”

But in Western Colorado’s Mesa County, the issue is just the latest in a series of frustrating developments related to this month’s election.

Frustration with slow communication after password issue

October started with the punishment of the old ones Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters for his role in compromising county election equipment and ended with the Secretary of State’s coverage of the partial election BIOS passwords published online. Meanwhile, state officials announced that there was evidence. small scale voter fraud A scheme in which nearly a dozen ballots were stolen and fraudulently delivered in the county was uncovered.

“We’ve been seeing it mostly related to BIOS and passwords here lately. Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Bobbie Gross said that’s where most voters are concerned. “The investigation into the attempted casting of fraudulent ballots in Mesa County is still ongoing.”

Gross spent Thursday night overseeing the change of passwords, which the Secretary of State’s Office said was completed by Friday morning for all affected counties. Gross said he first heard from state officials on Tuesday, saying the delay put officials in a bad light with voters.

“Communication is key, especially with your county clerks keeping them informed of what’s going on and you can’t withhold information that impacts counties, especially when we have voters in our community that we have to answer to,” Gross said.

Election disinformation driven by former clerk Peters and his supporters has plagued Mesa County for years. Once elected in 2022, Gross prioritized transparency to ease concerns in the district.

“I think it’s important for voters to have confidence in our procedures. We held several open houses. We’ve learned a few lessons from here (Colorado Mesa University),” Gross said. “We’ve had a great turnout for our open houses so people can actually see how their ballots are processed.”

In nearby Montrose County, Clerk and Recorder Tressa Guynes was similarly frustrated with the communication chain; This includes the State Department’s failure to notify local election officials until news of the violation was made public.

“What I would appreciate most is a consistent team attitude, not a one-sided reporting system,” Guynes said.