A registered Democratic voter in Colorado has been arrested on suspicion of tampering with voting equipment after he inserted a thumb drive into a voting machine at a polling station.
The June 28 incident didn't cause any major disruptions to voting. Concerns were raised that conspiracy theories related to the 2020 presidential election could encourage some voters to interfere with the election.
Delays at polling places or sowing the seeds of misinformation could be caused by unsuccessful breeches in the days leading up to the election.
The police department said in a statement that Richard was arrested on Thursday for investigation of tampering with voting equipment, a felony, and unauthorized access to a computer.
According to court records, he was being held without bond at the Judicial Center pending an advisement hearing later in the day in which he will hear the charges against him. The public defender's office doesn't comment on pending cases.
The clerk and recorder of the county confirmed Friday that he has been a registered Democrat since the beginning of the year.
If someone tried to gain access to the voting equipment, it would be obvious. According to the Colorado Secretary of State's office, if a machine is tampered with, atrigger alert makes it useless.
There were noises coming from a voting booth. A poll worker saw an error message when they went to clean the machine. The machine's seals appeared to have been disturbed. The machine was taken out of use.
Activists who promote the false claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from former President Donald Trump have been travelling the country.
According to the Secretary of State, this is the first arrest and possible prosecution under a new law that strengthens the penalty for tampering with election equipment. Up to three years in prison is what it is now considered a felony.
Griswold said that threats to American elections, including attempts to interfere with election equipment, were caused by the spread of election conspiracy and the Big Lie. It is important that anyone who subverts the will of the people or undermines elections be held responsible.
Officer Meagan Chapman said the department could not release any more information because of an ongoing investigation.
The driver's license that he presented to the poll workers was proof that he was eligible to vote, and that he did vote.
When our staff and judges are protecting democracy, a lot of the public feel like we are the enemy. The fact that Colorado's system has so many checks and balances proves to me that it's impossible for anyone to change the outcome of the election.
That's right.
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