With the November election approaching, Colorado’s Secretary of State Jena Griswold faces serious allegations of a security breach involving voting machine passwords. The Colorado GOP claims that Griswold’s office mistakenly posted sensitive BIOS passwords for voting systems across 63 of the state’s 64 counties on a public website from August to October 2024.
The GOP says these passwords, which were left unprotected, could have been accessed by anyone, raising concerns about potential vulnerabilities in Colorado’s voting infrastructure. According to an affidavit received by the GOP, the BIOS passwords control important system settings, including network capabilities and external drive access. State election rules require these passwords to be kept secure and confidential.
They have the nerve to tell you that it’s not a security issue that the Colorado Secretary of State’s office had partial passwords to our voting systems online for the world to see.
Are you paying attention yet?
Tina Peters got nine years for sharing the password illegally with… pic.twitter.com/tCprCBCmNz
— Insurrection Barbie (@DefiyantlyFree) October 30, 2024
BREAKING: Colorado’s Democrat Secretary of State reportedly leaked voting machine passwords online, exposing over 600 passwords for machines across 63 of the state’s 64 counties. pic.twitter.com/ljNceoxVft
— The General (@GeneralMCNews) October 29, 2024
Griswold’s office acted immediately after learning about the exposure, reportedly removing the file from the website and informing the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Officials from Griswold’s office stated that voting machines cannot be remotely accessed, which they argue limits the potential for tampering.
Despite these assurances, the Colorado GOP is calling for a swift response. They are requesting confirmation that new passwords are in place and asking for evidence of improved security practices. In their view, such a security lapse — especially so close to an election — undermines confidence in the state’s voting systems.
Colorado Secretary of State posted a spreadsheet with voting system passwords. Watch the entire interview here: pic.twitter.com/DK5Yid6owN
— 🇺🇸 WeAreThe USAPeople 🇺🇸 (@spizeysistaTX) October 30, 2024
BREAKING: Colorado voting machine passwords were LEAKED online by the Democrat Secretary of State. Specifically, over 600 passwords for machines in 63 of the state’s 64 counties were posted for anyone to see
"BIOS passwords are highly confidential, allowing broad access for… pic.twitter.com/tPllgTsCUq
— George (@BehizyTweets) October 29, 2024
Matt Crane, a former Republican county clerk and director of the Colorado Clerks Association, downplayed concerns about vote manipulation but acknowledged the issue as a “serious” problem. “It’s concerning, but it doesn’t mean votes can be tampered with,” Crane stated. As the election nears, Colorado Republicans are demanding assurances that Griswold’s office has taken adequate steps to secure all voting equipment.