Voting for the midterm elections is underway and election officials across the country are trying to get ready for all the ways two years of false claims and conspiracy theories may have damaged trust in their work.
That includes in Colorado. Even though it wasn't a swing state in 2020, Colorado has been at the forefront of false claims that the presidential election was stolen.
And by now, Republican Clerk Carly Koppes has probably heard it all. Koppes oversees elections in conservative Weld County in northern Colorado.
She says groups that believe the system is corrupt have been encouraging their members to get involved, including as poll watchers for the state's June primary.
"I approved 35 watchers during that primary election, and every single one of them had ties to either USEIP, which is a known election denier group, or other similar organizations that are also election denier groups as well," Koppes said. "This really does put us in a very tough spot."
The U.S. Election Integrity Plan says its goal is to defend democracy and root out fraud — including by canvassing door to door. The organization began in Colorado after the 2020 election and is not associated with any government entity or election office.
But Koppes says the volunteers' agenda didn't fluster her.
"I took full advantage of it, to be honest," she said. "I was like, thank you for giving me these people so that I can show them what actually happens.
"I literally had one watcher get on their knees and...
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