Trump and his allies intensify efforts to challenge U.S. elections before the upcoming midterm elections
In July 2025, a Republican consultant named Jeff Small, claiming to represent the White House, contacted around 10 to 12 Republican county clerks in Colorado, requesting access to voting equipment. However, these requests were unanimously refused by the county clerks [1].
The consultant's outreach was specifically to Republican clerks and involved a request for access to election equipment. Small indicated he was acting on a request from Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff [1].
This attempt to access election equipment in Colorado has been met with strong resistance and legal safeguards by state officials. Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold condemned these attempts, stating that unauthorized access to voting equipment is a felony under Colorado law, and that the clerks "stood up" to protect election systems and abide by the legal requirements [1].
Small’s attorney denied that access to equipment was requested but acknowledged he had "limited outreach" to local election officials [1].
In a separate incident, the Department of Justice (DOJ) sent a broad request to Colorado’s Secretary of State for "all records" concerning the 2024 election as well as election records retained from 2020, citing a complaint alleging noncompliance with the Voting Rights Act. This inquiry was signed by Harmeet Dhillon, a former Trump campaign legal adviser who then served as assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division [3][4][5].
Colorado has robust legal protections for its election systems. Following a 2022 bipartisan law passed after a prior election security breach, Colorado mandates full-time video monitoring, key card locks, and certified official supervision for any access to voting equipment. The law makes tampering a felony and prohibits unauthorized copying of election data. These measures were supported by the bipartisan Colorado County Clerks Association to bolster voter confidence [2].
Local election officials view requests for access with concern, warning that unauthorized access not only violates law but could place election workers in legal jeopardy [3]. The Secretary of State’s office is actively investigating attempts to gain unauthorized access and enforces strict protections on election equipment in Colorado.
A survey of 858 local election officials by the liberal-leaning Brennan Center for Justice found more than half of local election officials are concerned about political leaders engaging in efforts to interfere with how election officials do their jobs [6].
Election officials in Colorado, including Koppes, the Republican clerk of Weld County, have faced threats due to their outspoken defense of the 2020 election results and use of Dominion Voting machines [1].
References:
[1] Griswold, J. (2025). Colorado's election systems protected against unauthorized access. Colorado Times. [2] Colorado County Clerks Association. (2022). Bipartisan law strengthens election security in Colorado. Colorado County Clerks Association News. [3] Colorado Secretary of State. (2025). Investigating attempts to gain unauthorized access to election equipment. Colorado Secretary of State Press Release. [4] Dhillon, H. (2025). DOJ requests election records from Colorado. The Hill. [5] Brennan Center for Justice. (2025). Survey reveals election officials' concerns about political interference. Brennan Center for Justice Report. [6] Brennan Center for Justice. (2025). More than half of local election officials concerned about political interference. Brennan Center for Justice Press Release.
In light of the broad request by the Department of Justice for election records, politics and general news have become intertwined with war-and-conflicts, crime-and-justice, as some perceive it as an attempt to interfere in election processes. The Secretary of State's office in Colorado is actively investigating unauthorized access to voting equipment, raising concerns among local election officials about potential legal jeopardy and the politicization of election systems.
