It’s been nearly four years since Tina Peters, the elections administrator of Mesa County, Colorado, went rogue, allegedly breaching her office’s own equipment in a bid to investigate Donald Trump’s lies about the 2020 election. She was indicted on state charges in 2022.
Our election infrastructure, like so many of our institutions, is completely unprepared for attacks from internal extremist groups determined to destroy the United States.
What is the old adage, justice delayed is justice denied?
ETA it takes awhile to appreciate the social consequences to this when it also affects broader civic systems: the loss of confidence, the corruption of information and public discourse. As the article notes, public agencies really have to rebuild from basic, secure principles – can’t simply trust to the integrity of administrators – but it couldn’t hurt to try and incarcerate malefactors like Peters a bit more expeditiously too.
People, and cults, that refuse to accept the results of free and fair elections have no business participating in those elections. And certainly not holding sway in the administration of those elections.
Nothing difficult about that concept.
[county clerks] had probably been naive in thinking that someone in a position like the one Peters was in would both understand the job and do it well.
The degeneration of American values, caused by the Republican Party.
Blockquote “But these bad actors — I call it the traveling clown show — they’re still going around, especially in these smaller communities, trying to scare people out of using our voting system.”
People the bad actors are going to scare weren’t going to vote for the better candidate, so good governance will probably benefit.
I grew up in Mesa County and I can say without reservation that obnoxious, know nothing jerks like Tina Peters are a dime a dozen around those parts.
It is going to take us decades to restore confidence in the vote.
Most of my life I took honest voting in America as a given. I got to know election officials in my home town and was convinced of their integrity and devotion to America. I still am and for the most part believe that nearly all election officials are as honest as the day is long. Moreover, they are proud of the integrity of their processes and the commitment of their teams to fair elections. Most realize that the beauty of America is honest elections take the place of the ugly and bloody battles of the past. That you are a part of that is something to be proud of.
Tina Peters and all of the MAGA mob put themselves ahead of the common good. That is the problem with America’s blooming population of Karens. They don’t know to be grown ups and take responsibility.
She is currently awaiting trial, which is set for later this summer
Why has it taken so long ? It is not like her case was wildly complex
I’ll defer to the fine folks on this site that live in Arizona.
What’s the inside track on this story?
Fingers crossed that Colorado Karen doesn’t get a judge with the mindset of Cannon, Alito, and Thomas when her trial commences. But it is worrying how many of these authoritarian Federalist Society whackjobs are out there on the bench all around us. Thanks Leo, hope you and Harlan Crow rot in hell for bringing the specter of fascism back to America.
It’s also important to keep the public informed as to one simple fact:
These are counting machines. NOT voting machines.
They simply tally votes on paper ballots, which are saved and can be run again in a recount.
This happened in Colorado, not Arizona.
Lying liars and the lies they tell
That is America in 2024
I’m concerned about the financial consequences too. Colorado’s recent vote not to charge sales tax on food has led to a big budget shortfall in my town. I wonder if county budgets are similarly affected. Installing new security cameras, etc. can’t be cheap.
"She was indicted on state charges in 2022" Then what?
Most of then folks that were indicted on state charges in 2022 are no longer pestering society because they’ve been tried and locked up.
Why does it take so long to bring this folks to justice?
Most states don’t levy a sales tax on staple food items. Bread, milk or meat are not taxed. Oreos and other junk are. Probably a good thing.
True at one level, but the decentralized system, and sheer number of separate voting precincts, approaching 200,000, at which ballots are cast and counted, is a powerful deterrent to electoral mischief when it comes to the basic numbers of votes cast for particular candidates.
All the county, state and national vote counts are added up from the basic precinct numbers. It would be very difficult perhaps even impossible to subvert enough precincts, so Republicans resort to invented schemes like the Independent State Legislature Theory, whereby Republicans want to throw out the votes themselves and just declare their guy/gal tge winner.
As far as I’m concerned, Tina Peters should be charged Federally as a domestic terrorist and given at least 25 years in prison to ponder where she fucked up. People like Ms. Peters and Mike Lindell pose a threat to our Republic and should be removed from society until forgotten! Personally, I would favor the death penalty for crimes like these, but assuming a snowflake blizzard, I’d settle for 25 years.
