Officials vote to replace election equipment

The Mesa County Commission will replace 41 pieces of election equipment that were compromised during an alleged security breach — the latest in a saga that includes a pillow salesman, County Clerk Tina Peters in hiding and Qanon.

The all-republican commission voted 3-0 to replace its Dominion Voting Systems hardware during a special meeting Tuesday afternoon and extended the county’s contract with Dominion through 2029 at a cost of $825,281.

Thirty-four Mesa County residents spoke to the commission before the vote and all opposed the Dominion contract, quoting from the Declaration of Independence and Scripture as they urged the commission to choose a different equipment company or use hand counts instead of Dominion.

“I find it downright appalling that you are even considering Dominion and their minions,” Diana Larson of Grand Junction said.

“Don’t do this,” Shelley Lucas of Grand Junction said. “Please don’t do this.

I pray to God that he gives you the strength to do the right thing.”

The alleged security breach has turned Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, a Republican, into a hero among far-right followers of former President Donald Trump who believe Dominion machines changed vote tallies in the 2020 election and robbed Trump of the presidency. Public speakers during the meeting repeated those conspiracy theories, with some even threatening to vote out any commissioners who approved the contract extension.

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, on the other hand, considers Peters to be a rogue clerk who jeopardized the security of election equipment and forced Tuesday’s vote.

Peters has been traveling outside Mesa County since Aug. 10, when she flew to a conspiracy theory symposium in South Dakota hosted by Mike Lindell, the CEO of Mypillow and an election conspiracist. He then arranged for her to stay in Texas but she moved last week after Lindell’s security team leaked details of her whereabouts, he told Vice News.