A U.S. Postal Service mail carrier in Colorado and one of his acquaintances are accused of intercepting mail-in ballots and fraudulently voting them in the 2024 election.
In late October, officials in western Colorado's Mesa County began receiving complaints from some Grand Valley residents who said they hadn't received their mail-in ballots, even though those same ballots had already been submitted. Apparently it was rejected for some reason. signature mismatch.
The 21st District Attorney's Office formally began an investigation into the complaint on October 21st.
Investigators later discovered that ballots were missing from the mailboxes, but there were no signs of forced entry, suggesting an inside effort. It also states that several of the complainants live within a half-mile of each other, and that on October 12th, 64-year-old postal carrier Vicki Lynn Stewart delivered mail in the area on behalf of other postal carriers in the area. It was also revealed that he was a member of the staff.
On October 24, Stewart allegedly told investigators that she simply cross-referenced the name on her mail-in ballot with the name in her mailbox. If the names didn't match, she allegedly marked them as “return to sender.”
She estimated that she had marked about 20 ballots in this way and assured investigators that there was “no possibility that her DNA would be on the inside of the envelope,” according to the affidavit. She denied any involvement in the voter fraud scheme.
According to the affidavit, the USPS later told investigators that such cross-referencing violates protocol because the mail carrier “may not know with certainty whether someone lives at a particular address.” ” that the ballots must be delivered regardless of the name match.
“We are proud that our safety measures are effective.”
It is unclear how investigators contacted Sally Jane McSeddon, 59, about the incident, but they spoke with her on Election Day.
According to the affidavit, McSeddon initially admitted that she had “falsely filled out a ballot that did not belong to her.” She then told a bizarre story involving a male Colorado Bureau of Investigation agent, a truck, and a mall parking lot. She also drew a map for investigators.
However, McSeddon eventually allegedly confessed that she and Stewart were friends and had recently concocted a plan to “test” signature verification on mail-in ballots. Their purpose, according to the affidavit, was “to determine whether the signature verification process could detect whether a forged signature was not a signature of a known voter on file.”
McSeddon claimed that Stewart began stealing ballots and giving them to her to fill out.
So far, authorities have identified at least 16 victims, but believe there may be more than 20. At least nine of the ballots submitted by the women were deleted due to suspected fraud, and at least three were processed and counted.
“Once the signature is verified, the ballot is independently removed from the envelope and goes through the (counting) process,” Colorado Secretary of State Jenna Griswold said at a press conference.
The day after the election, both McSeddon and Stuart were arrested. They each face more than a dozen felonies related to forgery, identity theft and attempting to influence a public official.
USPS later confirmed that Rocky Mountain PBS Stewart said he was an employee and has since been placed on “emergency off-duty status.”
It is unclear whether the victims were able to vote in the election.
Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Bobby Gross said the unearthed alleged plans prove the system works.
“I deeply appreciate the District Attorney's Office's diligent and thorough efforts in addressing this issue,” Gross said in a statement. “We will continue to be vigilant to protect its integrity.” According to Rocky Mountain PBS.
Strangely enough, Colorado Sun dares to question the integrity of the election by pointing out that Stewart is a registered Republican and that the allegedly fraudulent ballots represent only a fraction of the total votes cast in the county. They used the incident of alleged voter fraud to criticize people.
The newspaper reported that “Mesa County is a heavily Republican region of the state” and “has been the center of election conspiracies spread by conservatives in recent years.”
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