Wed. Nov 27th, 2024

A voter drops off their ballot at a drop box outside the Washington Park Recreation Center on Election Day in Denver, Nov. 5, 2024. (Lindsey Toomer/Colorado Newsline)

Two Mesa County women were arrested Wednesday for allegedly stealing mail ballots and fraudulently casting them ahead of the general election.

One of the women, Vicki Lyn Stuart, is a carrier for the United States Postal Service.

Stuart, 64, and Sally Jane Maxedon, 59, were charged with forgery, identity theft and attempting to influence a public servant, according to the arrest affidavits. Maxedon is registered Republican and Stuart is an unaffiliated voter, according to voter records provided to Colorado Newsline.

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The two allegedly conspired to “test” the county’s signature verification system, which is used to match a voter’s signature on their ballot envelope with the one in official records. Maxedon said she obtained “six or seven” ballots from Stuart, who substituted on Oct. 12 on the mail delivery route associated with the stolen ballots.

Maxedon told an investigator she filled out the ballots, forged the signature on the envelope and gave them back to Stuart.

Last month, state election officials said they identified at least 12 fraudulent ballots in the case. Three made it through the signature verification process and were irrevocably counted.

The affidavit estimates there are at least 20 victims. Prosecutors list 16 known victims.

Mesa County Clerk Bobbie Gross, a Republican, said the office did not open the ballots and gave them to the district attorney’s office.

“I am deeply grateful for the diligence and thorough efforts of the District Attorney’s Office in addressing this matter. I am proud our security measures are effective, and we will remain vigilant to safeguard the integrity of our elections,” she said in a statement.

Mesa County District Attorney Dan Rubinstein declined to comment.

Quentin Young contributed to this report.

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