A staggering security breach has rattled Colorado, as BIOS passwords for ballot counting machines in half the state’s counties were found posted on an obscure spreadsheet on the Secretary of State’s website. The Republican Party of Colorado was instrumental in bringing this alarming lapse to light days before the November election. The public disclosure of BIOS passwords, although removed on October 24, had been accessible online since June. However, the news grabbed the limelight only when the Colorado GOP notified its supporters about it on October 29.
The BIOS password is akin to a master key that can unlock the underlying software of the tabulating machines, granting overarching access to whoever holds it. However, the silver lining in this egregious incident is the prevention of tampering, which necessitates physical proximity to the machine in question and manual entering of the password. The state’s polling devices are well-dispersed across counties and secured under round-the-clock camera surveillance, with access granted only to a select set of staff via keycard, post thorough background checks.
Incredibly, those who run Colorado’s elections, the county clerks, were kept in the dark about this alarming breach until the Colorado GOP enlightened them through an email. Though they reassured the public about the security of the voting machines, the perceived incompetency of those charged with safeguarding their private voting info dented public confidence in their integrity.
The Democrat Secretary of State, Jena Griswold, in an almost laughable exercise of damage control, labelled the incident as an ‘accident’. Her internal review pointed towards an outdated spreadsheet created by an ex-employee, the contents of which were dubiously hidden and later published online by a current employee, exhibiting a serious lack of supervision within the office. Griswold’s insinuation that the posting of passwords was an accidental act smacks of a desperate attempt to divert attention from the glaring gaps in her office’s adherence to protocol.
Those who expected consequences for the staff implicated in the accidental sharing of sensitive info were left disappointed. The present employee, who shockingly made the spreadsheet public unknowingly, is still a part of the state’s machinery. Griswold’s administration has conceded only that the spreadsheet act was in violation of standard practices but is yet to take disciplinary action.
Now, a flurry of investigations are underway, spearheaded not only by the Secretary of State office’s appointed attorneys Beth Quinn and J. Mark Baird of Baird Quinn LLC, but also by the Denver District Attorney’s office, which is conducting its own investigation on behalf of three district attorneys offices.
Publishing sensitive voting equipment information, let alone passwords, knowingly is considered a felony under Colorado law. An insider, conversant with the DA investigation, revealed that, surprisingly, the Secretary of State herself is not under investigation presently and confirmed there was no evidence of criminal activity yet.
The Republican Party of Colorado, backed by its key members, has rightfully demanded the resignation of Democrat Jena Griswold over her office’s singular failings. State party chair Dave Williams has accurately termed the incident a shining example of gross incompetence and negligence. The state’s half-hearted investigations have only succeeded in raising more doubts instead of providing answers.
Undeterred by the state’s lackadaisical response to resetting the voting machines, Trump’s campaign too called for a wholesale reset of the tabulators, to reinstate public trust in the election process. Despite the failure of Colorado to take action, the Trump campaign showed restraint and stood by its demand.
In December, the bipartisan Legislative Audit Committee will meet to deliberate on ordering the state auditor to investigate the Secretary of State’s office. Democrats, unfortunately, remain rumoured to be passively waiting for other investigations to conclude. True to form, their strategy appears to be more about delaying the process than actually fostering transparency and restoring public trust.
Democratic Governor Jared Polis has stated his desire to understand the situation better but has done little to expedite the investigation. Like Griswold, Polis seems to adopt the same carefree attitude of a spectator, clearly exemplifying their lax attitude towards dealing with serious security lapses.
In a crafty move to deflect criticism from the Republicans, Griswold has defended her handling of Colorado’s election system. She also noted that the legislature has constantly turned down her office’s appeals for increased funding. But surely, fiscal constraints cannot justify severe security breaches and a clear failure to adhere to protocols.
This incident is more than an isolated case of mismanagement or negligence; it puts a spotlight on the Democrats’ flawed governance model. Clear understanding of responsibilities, diligent adherence to protocols, and an effective crisis management mechanism are vital to upholding public trust. Unfortunately, these aspects are noticeably absent in the Democrat-ruled realm.
Colorado’s democratic machinery seems to lack accountability and the ability to deal with serious breaches of trust. The state GOP has rightly highlighted the Democrats’ inability to protect voting systems with due diligence and deserves credit for taking the lead on issues of transparency and accountability.
This incident also throws light on the need for bipartisan camaraderie, respect for institutional protocols, and the importance of instilling public trust in state machinery. It’s surprising to note that the Democrats, despite being in the position of power, have chosen to defend their track record rather than owning up to their shortcomings and working towards rectifying them.