A Pagosa Springs Police Department investigation determined no crime was committed and there was no nefarious intent when a maintenance person at 449 San Juan St. accessed the counting room of the Archuleta County Election’s Office on Sept. 20.
According to Pagosa Springs Police Chief William Rockensock, a maintenance employee for the building owner was working on a water leak at the facility on Friday, Sept. 20, and entered the election room “in the course of their duties.”
Rockensock and Archuleta County Clerk and Recorder Kristy Archuleta both reported that the individual was in the room for a few seconds and left without touching anything, with both citing surveillance video.
According to Archuleta, the individual “kind of ignored” the keypad and other measures on the counting room door.
Archuleta explained she was giving a tour to a clerk from another county the following Tuesday when she noticed something wasn’t right.
“It was closed, but I could tell something was wrong with it,” she said.
Archuleta explained she opened the door and could tell it had been opened, so she immediately called the maintenance supervisor to secure the door.
The maintenance supervisor called the county manager, she added, and she called the Secretary of State’s Office, Dominion and law enforcement.
Elections staff also began checking surveillance, she noted.
The room was entered at approximately 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 20, with the individual opening the door, taking a couple steps in, looking around and walking out, Archuleta relayed.
“There was absolutely no activity until I went in there on Tuesday about 1 o’clock,” she said.
Archuleta indicated the surveillance footage shows nothing was touched and no one else entered the room until she did.
“The door is actually still secured,” she said, adding all the seals in the room were still good, and checks and balances show that the voting equipment is still verified.
She noted that she reached out to both party chairs following the incident.
“Our investigation determined there was no intent or criminal act, there was nothing nefarious about the employees’ actions and no crime was committed,” Rockensock states in an email to The SUN.
Archuleta added she plans to have more cameras and an alarm on that door installed and is applying for additional grant funding on top of a grant the office received this week.
On Monday, Sept. 30, Secretary of State Jena Griswold announced the first round of County Security and Accessibility Grants, which include $4,235.62 for Archuleta County.
Counties can use the grants to increase the security and accessibility of voting systems and locations, boost election judges’ pay, and provide funding for Sunday voting locations ahead of the 2024 General Election, according to a press release from the Secretary of State’s Office.
The press release adds, “Awards include funding for overtime pay for security personnel, camera and door upgrades to improve security, security features to reinforce elections buildings, additional drop box lighting and reinforced drop boxes, backup power for voting systems, and adding accessible voting booths and lighting to voting centers, among other additions.”
“These grants enable Colorado to strengthen our gold-standard elections by further expanding election accessibility and security across the state,” said Griswold.
randi@pagosasun.com
