Two women, including a United States Postal Service (USPS) worker, were arrested in Colorado’s Mesa County for allegedly stealing mail-in ballots and forging votes in an attempt to “test” the voting signature verification system, according to officials and an affidavit.
Chief investigator James Cannon wrote in the affidavit that the investigation began after Mesa County elections staff received reports of rejected ballots due to signature discrepancies. The affected voters claimed they had never received their ballots, prompting suspicions of mail theft and forgery.
The ballots in question had been mailed from the Mesa County Clerk’s office on Oct. 11, and were intended for delivery in a specific neighborhood serviced by the USPS. However, several voters in that area reported that their ballots were never received, even though Mesa County’s election system flagged them as submitted.
Cannon noted that forged signatures on the returned ballots were significantly different from the authentic ones on file. Further investigation revealed that the stolen ballots originated from at least two different USPS mailbox clusters in the same subdivision. There were no signs of forced entry, suggesting that someone with authorized access, such an a USPS employee, may have intercepted the mail.
Stuart, a USPS mail carrier, had substituted for the regular carrier on the route where the missing ballots were reported, according to Cannon. Investigators linked Stuart to the route in question after discovering she had been in possession of several ballot envelopes that were later identified as stolen.
During questioning, Maxedon admitted to forging the ballots with Stuart’s help. Initially, Maxedon tried to deflect blame, claiming she had been recruited to take part in the scheme by an unknown man she had randomly met at a local mall, according to the affidavit. However, she later confessed that she and Stuart had conspired to test the ballot verification system by stealing and forging ballots, documents state. Maxedon detailed how Stuart provided her with the stolen ballots, which she filled out and returned to Stuart for submission, the affidavit notes.
A key development in the investigation came when a forensic analysis of the ballot envelopes revealed Maxedon’s fingerprints, the affidavit states. This corroborated her confession and linked her directly to the fraudulent submissions.
At least 16 victims of the ballot theft scheme have been identified, with the possibility of more as the investigation continues. Both Stuart and Maxedon face multiple felony charges, including identity theft, forgery, and attempting to influence a public servant.
The desired outcome of the scheme, according to the affidavit, was for Maxedon and Stuart to determine if the signature verification process would detect if the forged signatures were not those of the known voter signatures on file with the Mesa County elections office.
“I am proud our security measures are effective, and we will remain vigilant to safeguard the integrity of our elections,” Gross said. “I am committed to transparency and accountability at every step of the election process so that voters in Mesa County can have confidence that their ballots are secure.”
Attorneys for Maxedon and Stuart were not available for comment.
