By Rocky Mountain Voice Staff
In a letter addressed to Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, representatives for Donald J. Trump for President 2024, Inc. have raised alarms over a reported disclosure of BIOS passwords for voting system equipment across the state. According to the letter, these passwords have been publicly accessible from at least August 2024 through October 24, 2024, without public notification from Griswold’s office regarding the security risk. The letter suggests that the passwords’ exposure presents an opportunity for unauthorized access to modify the Trusted Build of voting systems—a concern intensified by the upcoming election.
The Trump campaign’s letter, issued through the Gessler Blue law firm, details the potential implications of the breach, emphasizing that any unauthorized person with access to BIOS passwords could alter the system’s Trusted Build without detection in the software. Highlighting the legal implications, the letter points to SB 22-153, which classifies the knowing publication of such sensitive information as a Class 5 felony. The Trump campaign notes that while the release may have been inadvertent, it has serious consequences for election security.
The campaign requests that Secretary Griswold take the following actions under Colorado election law and regulations to mitigate potential security risks:
- Identify Affected Counties: Confirm which counties’ voting systems use the disclosed passwords for their most recent Trusted Build.
- Notify and Rebuild Systems: Instruct the affected counties to install a new Trusted Build under Election Rule 20.6.1 due to a “security issue” and then conduct new Logic and Accuracy tests on the updated systems.
- Halt Ballot Processing in Affected Counties: Order affected counties to pause processing and re-scan all mail-in ballots after the Trusted Build updates and Logic and Accuracy tests are complete.
The Trump campaign acknowledges that these steps may disrupt the election process but stresses their importance in safeguarding the election’s integrity and maintaining Colorado’s chain-of-custody requirements.
The letter calls for Secretary Griswold to respond to these demands by 10:00 a.m. MT on October 31, 2024, ensuring immediate action to address the identified security concerns and confirm the integrity of the voting process.
Recipients of the Letter: The letter was also sent to Deputy Secretary of State Chris Beall and Elections Director Judd Choate, urging the Colorado Secretary of State’s office to take urgent corrective measures before Election Day.