Colorado County Clerks Association Statement on Governor Polis’ Commutation of Tina Peters

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In Boulder County, election integrity and security are the responsibility of Clerk Molly Fitzpatrick, who has been entrusted with this responsibility by Boulder County voters and who has the full support of the Boulder County Commissioners. As a member of the Colorado County Clerks Association (CCCA), Clerk Fitzpatrick and her colleagues from across the political spectrum issued a statement expressing deep concern about Governor Polis’ decision to commute Tina Peters sentence for multiple charges related to election equipment tampering. Peters, the former Mesa County Clerk, was found guilty of seven total charges, including four felonies and three misdemeanors. As of June 1, she will be released from prison and her sentence commuted.

We are amplifying CCCA’s statement today in full because it clearly expresses the profound impact this decision has on trust in the electoral process.

Commissioner Claire Levy

Commissioner Marta Loachamin

Commissioner Ashley Stolzmann

Colorado County Clerks Association Statement on Governor Polis’ Commutation of Tina Peters

We are furious, disgusted, and deeply disappointed by the Governor’s decision. We have met with him privately to make our position unmistakably clear: Tina Peters deserves the accountability imposed through Colorado’s judicial system, and the Governor should, at the very least, respect that process and allow it to fully play out before intervening.

This case was thoroughly investigated, prosecuted, and adjudicated through the rule of law. Undermining that process before it has fully concluded sends a reckless and dangerous message to the public, to election officials, and to anyone entrusted with safeguarding our democratic institutions.

Election officials across Colorado, Republicans and Democrats alike, have stood up at every turn to tell the truth about our elections, even while facing harassment, intimidation, threats, and relentless political attacks. They have defended the rule of law, protected voters, and continued serving the public despite enormous personal and professional costs.

Rather than standing with those public servants and defending one of our nation’s most cherished rights, the right to vote, Governor Polis is bending the knee to the same political forces and conspiracy movements that are actively undermining confidence in our democratic institutions. That choice carries consequences far beyond this single case.

Tina Peters’ actions have made life harder not only for election officials in Colorado, but for election officials across the country. Her conduct became a rallying point for election conspiracy movements that fueled hostility and distrust toward the very people responsible for administering free and fair elections.

Last year, an election office in Colorado was firebombed. While the suspect is entitled to the presumption of innocence and the case must proceed through the legal process, public reporting indicates the individual appeared influenced by the same stolen-election conspiracy narratives that Tina Peters helped amplify and legitimize. Election officials are not speaking in hypotheticals anymore. The threats, fear, and escalation are real.

At a time when election officials need strong support, this decision abandons them and supports the attack on the legitimacy of American elections.

There is no escaping the significance of this moment. This is now Governor Polis’s legacy. He will not be able to run from it or redefine it later. When given the opportunity to stand firmly for the rule of law, for the integrity of Colorado’s elections, and for the public servants who defend them, he chose a different path.

This decision is shameful. It rewards criminal conduct connected to attacks on our election system, weakens confidence in accountability, and undermines the very institutions that protect the freedom to vote. Colorado voters deserve leaders who defend democracy, not leaders who legitimize efforts to damage it.

The Colorado County Clerks Association (CCCA) is a non-governmental entity and includes in its membership the 64 County Clerks of Colorado and their designees.

To find out more about Ballot Processing and Election Security in Boulder County, visit the Boulder County Clerk and Recorder's website.

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