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DENVER (AP) — The Denver district attorney’s office has opened an investigation into the leak of voting system passwords that were posted on a state website for months leading up to the election and only taken down last month.
Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold has characterized the leak as an accident, adding that it did not pose an “immediate” security threat, which the Colorado County Clerks Association concurred with. The passwords are only one part of a layered security system and can only be be used to access voting systems in person in secured and surveilled rooms.
“The Department of State is supporting and working closely with the Denver District Attorney’s investigation,” said Kailee Stiles, a spokesperson for the secretary of state’s office. “We welcome the additional transparency.”
Matt Jablow, a spokesperson for the Denver DA’s office, declined to provide further information about the investigation.
The mistake comes amid skepticism over voting systems and brought swift criticism from the Colorado Republican Party. Elections nationwide remain fair and reliable.