Between Oct. 23 when Secretary of State Jena Griswold became aware that hundreds of voting machine passwords had been released publicly on a spreadsheet and Nov. 1 when Gov. Jared Polis intervened to demand the passwords be changed, what exactly was Griswold doing to address the security breach?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Because this feels a lot like déjà vu with Jena Griswold.

In 2022 when we endorsed Griswold’s Republican opponent we wrote: “Griswold has left us unimpressed with her unwillingness to address problems and issues as they arise and even a reluctance to admit when mistakes have been made, or things could be improved.”

Here we are two years later in the midst of one of the most closely scrutinized elections of all time and Griswold’s team makes a crucial error and the secretary of state sits on it for at least a week before taking action.

We’re perplexed by the entire ordeal.

Colorado’s elections are very secure – every voter casts a paper ballot that is retained for recounts and risk-limiting audits. Those ballots are public record and can be cross-checked with the public list of participating voters to ensure the numbers add up and to ensure the voters are real, eligible, alive Coloradans.

The passwords leaked were one of two needed to access the voting machines and the machines are stored in secure areas kept under constant surveillance.

All of this means it is unlikely that any harm came from the passwords being publicly released beginning as early as Aug. 8 and ending Oct. 23.

However, it doesn’t take a conspiracy theorist to believe it’s possible the passwords weren’t leaked on accident. Did a rogue secretary of state employee – someone with delusions of grandeur on the scale of former Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters – intentionally release the passwords? Was the intent to cast a pall on the election or was he or she conspiring with someone else – Democrat or Republican — to breach election machines?

These unanswered questions are why an external investigation is needed. Griswold has said she will hire an external company to review the incident, but we think the investigation needs to be beyond her control entirely. Gov. Jared Polis has done an excellent job stepping up in Griswold’s absence on this issue and he should do so again by having the investigator spur from his office.

Peters used her role as clerk to give someone access to the voting machines in Mesa County and steal data related to the election. No real harm came from her antics and the data proved what most Coloradans already knew – the elections were secure and valid.

But that didn’t stop Peters from jetting off around the country claiming she had proof that the 2020 election was stolen.

In a similar vein, it was someone involved with discrediting the 2020 election on behalf of former President Donald Trump who first discovered the passwords in a hidden sheet on a database of election equipment that could be downloaded from the secretary of state’s website. Shawn Smith signed an affidavit that was sent to Griswold’s office on Oct. 29 stating he had downloaded the spreadsheets on Aug. 8, Oct. 16 and Oct. 23. The link to the spreadsheets was taken down on Oct. 24 when Griswold’s office noticed the passwords, but no information was released officially about the link until after Smith and the Colorado Republican Party sent out public notices about the passwords they had obtained.

Coloradans deserve to know exactly how and why the passwords were released whether it was a simple mistake, negligence or a nefarious act.

Griswold and Polis have assured Coloradans that no voting machines were compromised — the fear being of course that someone inside a county clerk’s office used the passwords, combined with theirs and their access to the machines to upload malware that could interfere with the integrity of ballot counting.

We need someone to review the security tapes and investigate just as we did following the Peters’ security breach in Mesa County. Tina Peters was sentenced to 9 years behind bars for her data breach, based in large part on the investigation into her actions led by Griswold. This security breach should be investigated just as thoroughly, as should be Griswold’s lack of response.

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It’s Election Day in Colorado. That means time is running out for voters to make their voices heard in the 2024 presidential election, in congressional and state legislative races, and on a bevy of statewide and local ballot measures.

The deadline to cast a vote is 7 p.m. That includes dropping off a ballot at a 24-hour drop box.

For voters still intending to vote using a ballot that was mailed to them, it’s too late to ship them back through the mail. All mail ballots must now be delivered to drop boxes or voting centers. Alternatively, voters may cast a ballot in person at voting centers that will be open across the state between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

The Colorado secretary of state’s website — sos.state.co.us — provides a link to a tool that allows voters to find their nearest polling locations and ballot drop boxes by inputting their addresses.

Voters can also visit their local county clerk’s website to obtain more information about where they can vote. And Colorado still allows new voter registration on Election Day in person at a county voting center.

There will be 39 voter service and polling centers open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Denver alone. That’s on top of dozens of drop boxes. The Denver Clerk and Recorder’s Office offers an online map of all drop box and in-person voting locations in the city on its website.

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — The UND men’s basketball season started off on the wrong foot late Monday night in Colorado.

The Fighting Hawks turned the ball over 15 times in the first half, fell behind by 17 at halftime and were routed 82-56 by Colorado State.

Treysen Eaglestaff hit on a drive with 7 minutes, 42 seconds left in the first half to cut the Rams’ lead to 23-17. The Fighting Hawks then didn’t hit another shot from the field the rest of the first half.

The Rams pulled away in the second half, ballooning the lead to 30 points by the middle of the second half.

The Fighting Hawks never led in the game and trailed by as many as 34.

UND ended with 21 turnovers, including five from transfer guard Reggie Thomas.

Eli King chipped in five points but played just 18 minutes and fouled out.

Eaglestaff led UND with 12 points on 5-for-9 shooting. Mier Panoam had 10 points, while Amar Kuljuhovic had nine points and Dariyus Woodson had seven.

UND was 5-for-16 from 3-point range.

Colorado State was led by Nique Clifford with 20 points on 9-for-12 shooting. He also had 14 rebounds.

The Rams struggled from the free-throw line at 8-for-19 but dominated points in the paint 52-18.

UND’s frontcourt struggled as Mambouro Mara ended with no points on three shots and a minus-22 plus-minus in 21 minutes. Deng Mayar was 1-for-5 with five points and minus-16 in 15 minutes of play.

Grand Forks Red River’s Zach Kraft, a redshirt freshman guard, played his first minutes for UND but didn’t put up a shot in six minutes of action.

Colorado State, led by coach Niko Medved, was 25-11 last season and 15-2 at home. The Rams were an NCAA Tournament qualifier last year, losing to Texas in the first round.

UND will now play at Texas-San Antonio at 6 p.m. Saturday in Texas.

The Fighting Hawks will host Dickinson State in Bismarck on Nov. 12, with the first true home game at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center coming Nov. 14 at noon against Utah Valley.

Staff reports and local scoreboards from the Grand Forks Herald Sports desk.