Colorado’s Secretary of State Jena Griswold is facing criticism after an alleged security lapse involving voting machine passwords. According to reports from the Colorado GOP, BIOS passwords for voting machines in 63 of Colorado’s 64 counties were accessible to the public on the state’s website between August and October 2024. This file reportedly contained over 600 passwords and was available without any encryption.
These BIOS passwords allow administrators to control core system settings in the machines, including network connectivity. The Colorado GOP has voiced strong concerns, describing this incident as a failure in basic cybersecurity measures. They are asking Griswold’s office for confirmation that new passwords have been set and that all voting systems are secured ahead of the upcoming election.
They have the nerve to tell you that it’s not a security issue that the Colorado Secretary of State’s office had partial passwords to our voting systems online for the world to see.
Are you paying attention yet?
Tina Peters got nine years for sharing the password illegally with… pic.twitter.com/tCprCBCmNz
— Insurrection Barbie (@DefiyantlyFree) October 30, 2024
BREAKING: Colorado’s Democrat Secretary of State reportedly leaked voting machine passwords online, exposing over 600 passwords for machines across 63 of the state’s 64 counties. pic.twitter.com/ljNceoxVft
— The General (@GeneralMCNews) October 29, 2024
In response, Griswold’s office reported that they acted swiftly to remove the file and notified the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). The Secretary of State’s office argued that voting machines require physical access for these passwords to be used, which they say limits potential tampering.
However, Matt Crane, a former Republican clerk and head of the Colorado Clerks Association, emphasized that while concerning, the incident does not necessarily impact vote integrity. “This is a serious security issue, but it doesn’t mean votes could be changed,” Crane noted. With the election just around the corner, the GOP is requesting immediate action and assurances of a secure voting process.
Colorado Secretary of State posted a spreadsheet with voting system passwords. Watch the entire interview here: pic.twitter.com/DK5Yid6owN
— 🇺🇸 WeAreThe USAPeople 🇺🇸 (@spizeysistaTX) October 30, 2024
BREAKING: Colorado voting machine passwords were LEAKED online by the Democrat Secretary of State. Specifically, over 600 passwords for machines in 63 of the state’s 64 counties were posted for anyone to see
"BIOS passwords are highly confidential, allowing broad access for… pic.twitter.com/tPllgTsCUq
— George (@BehizyTweets) October 29, 2024
The Colorado GOP has set a 24-hour deadline for Griswold to respond. They are calling for a detailed account of the steps her office has taken to safeguard the voting systems and prevent any future lapses.
