A major security incident has emerged in Colorado, where an affidavit claims Secretary of State Jena Griswold’s office leaked confidential voting machine passwords online. According to the sworn statement, over 600 passwords tied to voting machines in 63 of Colorado’s 64 counties were accessible from Griswold’s official website after a user allegedly revealed a hidden tab by simply clicking “unhide.”

This security breach has sparked widespread concern because BIOS passwords—used to access a computer’s basic input/output systems—allow for deep-level system modifications that could alter data without leaving a trace. Colorado law restricts BIOS access to select state employees to protect election integrity, but the passwords somehow became publicly available online, raising serious questions about the state’s election security.

The Colorado GOP immediately condemned the breach, with critics accusing Griswold of prioritizing “gaslighting” over safeguarding election systems. A state Republican spokesperson stated, “Hey, Secretary of Fraud… we’d appreciate it if you focused on upholding election laws rather than covering up blunders.” Calls have intensified for drastic changes to Colorado’s election procedures, with some advocating for canceling current voting machine contracts and implementing hand-counted paper ballots for heightened security.

Here’s a full copy of the affidavit.

In response, Griswold’s office has acknowledged the incident and stated it “took immediate action as soon as it was aware,” alerting the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which monitors election infrastructure. However, the incident has added fuel to mounting skepticism around election security nationwide, with voters voicing heightened fears of manipulation in the upcoming elections.

With Election Day approaching, this security lapse underscores growing voter concerns, many calling for transparency and accountability to restore trust in the democratic process.