Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, speaks during a House Judiciary hearing on a resolution brought forward by Republicans to impeach her, on April 9, 2024. (Sara Wilson/Colorado Newsline)
A Republican state senator is urging the Colorado Legislative Audit Committee to meet in response to news this week that the Colorado secretary of state’s office inadvertently posted election system passwords online.
Sen. Kevin Van Winkle of Highlands Ranch called for an emergency meeting in a Wednesday letter to the committee’s chair, Republican Rep. Lisa Frizell of Castle Rock.
“With the election in less than a week, the LAC may be the only available venue to independently and quickly determine if our elections systems were ever compromised, to drive corrective action, or simply serve as a public platform to inform and ensure the public that our state’s voting systems are safe,” he wrote.
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System passwords for voting machines across the state were included in a hidden spreadsheet tab on the department’s website. Secretary of State Jena Griswold’s office took the information down after they learned of the exposure, but they had been posted for several months, according to an unnamed person who alerted the Colorado Republican Party.
The passwords alone could not grant someone access to voting equipment, Griswold’s office said, because there are multiple layers of security around system access. Griswold, county clerks and computer science experts say the breach is not a security threat to the general election on Nov. 5.
Van Winkle wants a committee meeting to determine who posted the passwords, how it occurred, whether it was intentional, whether passwords have been replaced and whether any unauthorized people used the passwords to manipulate firmware, among other questions.
Rep. Andrew Boesenecker, a Fort Collins Democrat who sits at the committee’s vice chair, said Thursday afternoon that he has not seen the letter and has not been a part of any discussions related to an audit.
“As with any audit, I would need to see the letter from the requesting person to better understand the scope and focus of what would be audited,” he said.
Frizell did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The committee primarily reviews audit reports on various state offices, agencies and departments. It is composed of four Democrats and four Republicans across both chambers of the Legislature. It is next scheduled to meet on Dec. 9.
Additional meetings can be held with the approval of five committee members.
Griswold’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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