Latest news with #MesaCountyElections
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
1 of 2 suspects in election fraud scandal pleads guilty
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) – In a hearing that lasted less than 10 minutes, Vicki Stuart – one of two suspects in last year's election fraud case – pled guilty for her role in the scheme. As part of the plea hearing, Stuart had 32 counts dropped. But she pled guilty to one count of identity theft and forgery, respectively. Stuart's other charges included an attempt to influence a public servant. Stuart said she doesn't dispute charges, telling Judge Brian Flynn, 'I feel guilty for the part I played.' Stuart and her friend, Sally Maxedon, were accused of stealing residents' ballots, filling them out before turning them in to the Mesa County Clerk and Recorder's Office. According to the original arrest affidavit, the pair wanted to 'test' the voting signature systems. Stuart worked at the United States Postal Service, and it's believed she took the ballots from USPS for Maxedon to fill out. As last reported, there were 16 known victims who had their ballots stolen. Alarm bells started going off at the Mesa County Elections just a few weeks before Election Daily. Staff learned residents received notifications that their ballots were rejected due to signature discrepancies. The voters said they never got their mail-in ballots. Originally, Maxedon admitted to the scheme while Stuart denied the claims. Stuart's sentencing hearing will be at 8:30 a.m., June 25. Maxedon will be in court at 9 a.m., Thursday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mesa County Elections announce ‘I Voted' sticker winners
MESA COUNTY, Colo. (KREX) – Four area students will have their drawings on 'I Voted' stickers in this year's election as Mesa County Elections announced the winners of the second annual contest. This year's winners were fifth-grader Kate from Messiah Lutheran Church and School, fifth-grader Jessica from Thunder Mountain Elementary, Redlands Middle School eighth-grader Layla and seventh-grader Jacob from Independence Academy Charter School. The competition allowed kids – grades first through 12 – to show off their creativity and create civic pride and community engagement. 'We are thrilled to see the passion and talent of the youth in our neighborhood shine a light on the importance of civic engagement for the second year in a row,' Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Bobbie Gross said in a news release. 'We look forward to seeing our community members proudly wear these beautiful 'I Voted' stickers in the 2025 election season.' There were around 96 submissions for this year's contest. Mesa County Clerk and Recorder's Office employees evaluated all the drawings before narrowing them down to 16. The community then selected the four winners through the county's website. The students were honored during the Mesa County Commissioners meeting Tuesday morning. The drawings can be seen down below: Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
