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At final Harris rally, Oprah warns a Trump presidency could end voting rights

At final Harris rally, Oprah warns a Trump presidency could end voting rights

Shortly before Vice President Kamala Harris took the stage on the “Rocky Steps” of the Philadelphia Art Museum at her final rally before Election Day, billionaire Oprah Winfrey declared her fear a Donald Trump presidency could curtail Americans’ right to vote. Winfrey was introduced by Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff around 11 PM ET on Monday, and brought to the dais with her 10 first-time voters who have or will be casting a ballot for Harris, including MLS Philadelphia Union forward Eddy Davis III. Winfrey recounted hiking on a recent Sunday and meeting a woman who said she would “sit this [election] out.” “So I said, ‘sit this one out’. We don’t get to sit this one out. — If we don’t show up tomorrow, it is entirely possible that we will not have the opportunity to ever cast a ballot again.” “And let me be very clear, if you do not make sure that the people in your life can get to the polls, that is a mistake.” TRUMP RALLIES IN PA CITY WITH HIGHEST PROPORTION OF HISPANIC POPULATION HOURS BEFORE POLLS OPEN Winfrey added that supporting Harris is a vote to protect and defend the Constitution. She also quoted from former President John F. Kennedy’s “ask not what you can do for your country” address, adding “what you can do for every young woman who has died because she was not eligible to receive the emergency medical care she desperately needed because of the abortion ban – and what you can do for yourself and what you can do for everyone and everything you cherish, is vote.” Winfrey was followed by musician Will.i.am. The performer, whose real name is William Adams Jr., performed a song with the refrain “Yes, She Can,” in support of Harris. In her address, Harris said her campaign has shown “who America is,” and that “we are all in this together.” “Philadelphia; are you ready to do this?” she asked, adding the city was where “democracy was forged,” and nodded to the 1976 Sylvester Stallone classic in saying the location of the rally was a “tribute to those who start as the underdog and climb to victory.” Harris called Tuesday the “most consequential election of our lifetimes, and the momentum is on our side.” Our campaign has tapped into the ambitions and the aspirations and the dreams of the American people. We are optimistic, and we are excited about what we can do together. And we know it is time for a new generation of leadership in America. And I am ready to offer that leadership as the next president of the United States of America.” Harris went on to pledge that she will be a president who knows the “true measure of a leader is not based on who you beat down but who you lift up.” PA LEADERS TALK CAMPAIGN GROUND GAME “It is my pledge to you that if you give me a chance to fight on your behalf as president, there is nothing in the world that will stand in my way… Instead of stewing over an enemies list, I will spend every day on your behalf working on my to-do list full of priorities to improve your lives.” Chants of “we are not going back” soon erupted. She added that she will listen to people who disagree with her and that they will have a “seat at the table” as is custom for “strong leaders.” “I pledge to put country above party and self and to be a president for all Americans,” she said. “We are the promise of America.” Harris also credited Republicans who may or may not have ever voted for a Democrat in the past but endorsed her in this cycle. Such figures have included former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., former Rep. Charlie Dent, R-Pa., former Pence aide Olivia Troye, former Trump aide Anthony Scaramucci, former Melania Trump aide Stephanie Grisham, former G.W. Bush Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Reagan-era FBI Director William Webster. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Tonight, we finish as we started with optimism, with energy, with joy, knowing that ‘we the people’ have the power to shape our future and that we can confront any challenge we face when we do it together,” Harris said, later adding, “When we fight, we win.” Other speakers at the rally included Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro – widely considered the runner-up to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz in the vice presidential sweeps. Shapiro also noted Philadelphia’s prominence in the founding of America, adding, “we are not going back to a king.” In an apparent response to a comic at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally making a crack about Puerto Rico being an “island of garbage,” two Puerto Rican musicians took the stage Monday night. Rapper Fat Joe said, “I heard they needed a Puerto Rican in Philly, and I was so happy to be here” and slammed Trump’s comments about the immigration crisis at his first campaign launch: “Seeing Donald Trump come down that escalator and call my Mexican brothers and sisters rapists and drug dealers, he obviously didn’t know the contributions of Mexican-Americans to this country,” the Bronx-born Joe, né Joseph Antonio Cartagena, said. San Juan-born Ricky Martin later took the stage and performed his 1999 hit “Livin’ La Vida Loca” before also endorsing Harris. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Harris-Trump showdown: First votes cast at midnight in tiny New Hampshire township

Harris-Trump showdown: First votes cast at midnight in tiny New Hampshire township

The first results of the 2024 election day are in from Dixville Notch, New Hampshire with former President Donald Trump and Vice-president Kamala Harris splitting the tiny town’s six votes.  The final count read out by officials around 12:10 a.m. on Tuesday morning were 3 for Trump and 3 for Harris.  The six citizens of Dixville Notch, which is a remote unincorporated township in New Hampshire’s North Country region, cast their ballots at midnight.  Before voters cast their ballots, Cory Pesaturo, three-time world accordion champion, performed an accordion rendition of the national anthem as voters held their hands over their hearts.  The tiny village began its tradition of midnight voting in 1960. Four years ago, then-former Vice President Biden swept all five votes cast in the tiny township near the U.S.-Canadian border, en route to his White House victory over Trump. All eligible voters in the township – which totaled six in New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation presidential primary in January – gathered in Dixville’s Tillotson House, where voting remained open until everybody cast their ballot. Dixville Notch isn’t the only New Hampshire town which has grabbed national attention with midnight voting on Election Day. Harts Location – in the state’s White Mountains – started midnight voting in 1948. And Millfield, which is near Dixville Notch in New Hampshire’s North Country, has also held midnight voting.  But in the 2024 general election, Dixville Notch was the only location in New Hampshire holding midnight voting. Every four years – during the state’s presidential primary and the general election – reporters and media outlets from around the country and the globe descend on Dixville Notch to cover the midnight vote. Tom Tillotson, the longtime town moderator of the vote, has noted that “we get our 15 minutes of fame every four years.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Tim Walz talks abortion during final campaign rally with Michigan voters: ‘Everything is on the line’

Tim Walz talks abortion during final campaign rally with Michigan voters: ‘Everything is on the line’

Tim Walz spoke about abortion rights to cap off his final campaign rally before Election Day during a barely five minute address to Michigan voters Monday night. At a star-studded campaign rally from Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit on Election Day eve, which included a performance from Jon Bon Jovi and others, Walz told rally goers that he wanted to talk to them about “one issue in particular.” “Everything’s on the line,” Walz began in his short address from downtown Detroit. “But I want to take tonight to talk about one issue in particular that really underlines the stakes in this election. So let me speak to the guys in the crowd tonight. I want you to think about the women in your life that you love. Their lives are at stake in this election” Walz continued, before slamming Trump for appointing “Supreme Court Justices who repealed Roe v. Wade.”  “And he brags about it,” Walz added. “He is glad that those women you’re thinking about – and you love – have fewer rights than their mothers and their grandmothers.” VOTERS REACT TO GOV. TIM WALZ CLAIMING ABORTION IS A ‘BASIC HUMAN RIGHT’ Walz lamented that women were allegedly being turned away from emergency rooms and being forced to undergo miscarriages in the parking lot, blaming Trump and the work he did to overturn federal abortion protections. Walz also blamed Trump for rape victims having to carry unwanted pregnancies to full term. Such claims from Walz – that state abortion laws have resulted in the deaths of pregnant women – previously earned him heat on the campaign trail from OB-GYNS, who decried Walz for claiming a Georgia woman died due to the state’s abortion laws during a debate with his opponent, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio.   “When Congress passes that bill to restore reproductive freedom, President Harris will sign it into law,” Walz said. “Kamala and I trust women. It’s that simple.” Walz did not touch on any other policy issues during his barely five minute speech, which was preceded by his wife, Gwen, and the Democrat Governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer. Earlier in the day, Walz campaigned in several spots around Wisconsin, including Milwaukee.  WALZ TRIES TO DOWNPLAY LAWS HE SIGNED GRANTING BENEFITS TO ILLEGALS IN MINNESOTA: ‘NOT THE VP’S POSITION’ In closing on Monday evening, Walz insisted that “women all across America” would be “send[ing] a loud and clear message to Donald Trump” on Election Day in response to his efforts to overturn Roe v. Wade.  “Here’s the deal, folks, there’s going to be a day you’re going to be sitting in that rocking chair, and you’re going to be rocking on that porch, and a little one’s going to come home from school and ask, ‘What did you do in the 2024 election?’” Walz concluded at his last rally before Election Day. “And you’re going to be able to answer, ‘Every damn thing I could.”

JD Vance blames economic woes on Harris leadership during election eve night rally in Pennsylvania

JD Vance blames economic woes on Harris leadership during election eve night rally in Pennsylvania

Donald Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, blamed Kamala Harris’ poor leadership over the last four years for the economic woes Americans have faced, such as increased housing costs, lost jobs, inflation and higher than average credit delinquency rates, during a rally in Pennsylvania Monday night.  “She’s been in Washington for four years, and the consequence is that our fellow citizens are seeing credit card delinquency rates going through the roof, unaffordable housing, unaffordable grocery prices,” Vance said on Election Day eve from a venue in Newtown, Pennsylvania.  “You know, 8% of our fellow citizens can’t afford to pay their car payments right now because of Kamala Harris’ policies. The state of Pennsylvania, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, has seen a bigger increase in the cost of groceries than any state in the entire union. Pennsylvania families are being crushed by the cost of everything from groceries to housing.” In battleground Pennsylvania, one of the most coveted states for both candidates this election cycle, inflation remains higher than the national average. In September, food prices in Philadelphia were up 3.7% annually, compared to the national average of 1.3%. Meanwhile, energy prices in the Philadelphia metro area have increased at more than double the rate of the national average. Vance described Harris’ record when it comes to the economy as a “failure” and insisted she has no plan to fix it. He blasted the vice president over her approach to taxes as well, noting that she plans to let former President Trump’s tax cuts expire, which Vance said will lead to “every single person” paying thousands of dollars in extra taxes each year. JD VANCE TELLS NC CROWD HARRIS CAN’T DEAL WITH CHINA, RUSSIA IF SHE ‘RUNS’ FROM ‘FRIENDLY AMERICAN MEDIA’  “She thinks we ought to raise taxes on American citizens and reward foreign corporations that ship American jobs overseas,” Vance argued from his podium Monday night. “You know what Donald J. Trump thinks? President Trump thinks that we ought to cut your taxes and punish the corporations that are shipping American jobs overseas.” American jobs would be at risk under a potential Harris administration, Vance also added, pointing out that a recent jobs report showed 28,000 private sector jobs disappeared last month. “We lost 46,000 manufacturing jobs under Kamala Harris’ leadership,” he told the crowd. “But you know what? You know who we did hire? We hired a lot of government bureaucrats.” While Vance insisted that Harris’ policy record was poor on the economy and proves she would do little for Pennsylvanians’ cost-of-living concerns, the Ohio Senator praised former President Trump for already delivering a strong economy when he was president.  “We want the president who had inflation at 1.5%.” Vance implored rally goers. “We know that Donald J Trump’s leadership delivered the fastest rising take-home pay in 40 years in the United States of America. He already did it.” JD VANCE SUGGESTS NEW CAMPAIGN SLOGAN FOR KAMALA HARRIS: ‘NOTHING COMES TO MIND’ Vance added that Trump has plans to increase the supply of housing, something the Harris campaign has also proposed, and said that the former president would fight to lower mortgage interest rates as well.   Vance, Trump and Harris all spent time in Pennsylvania on Election Day eve, as they campaigned across numerous battleground states. Trump rallied Monday in Reading and Pittsburgh, while Harris spent time in Allentown, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. During Harris’ rally in Allentown, she told rally goers that she would strengthen the economy by cutting taxes on the middle-class, while raising them for the nation’s most wealthy and for corporations. She also insisted she would make everyday costs, like childcare, more affordable, and work to reduce costs for seniors.   “It is my pledge to you that when I walk in the White House – instead of stewing over an enemy’s list – I will spend every day working on my to-do list on your behalf full of priorities that are about improving your life about bringing down the cost of living,” Harris said from Allentown Monday. “About banning corporate price gouging on groceries, about making housing and child care more affordable. My plan will be about cutting taxes for workers in middle-class families and small businesses. Lowering health care costs, including the cost of home care for home care for our seniors.”

AOC slapped with community note after claiming massive Puerto Rican rally had to do with anti-Trump movement

AOC slapped with community note after claiming massive Puerto Rican rally had to do with anti-Trump movement

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., came under fire on Sunday after falsely claiming on social media that 50,000 attendees at a colonial elections festival in Puerto Rico were rallying for the “anti-Trump, anti-corruption Alianza movement.” “Eyes on Puerto Rico: Tonight, Puerto Ricans amassed the second-largest political rally this ENTIRE cycle – behind only Harris’ 75k-person Ellipse speech,” AOC wrote in a post on X. “Over 50,000 Boricuas rallying for the anti-Trump, anti-corruption Alianza movement & @juandalmauPR. Political earthquake.” The representative was referring to a festival that appeared to amass more people than Vice President Harris’s speech last week at the Ellipse, next to the White House, but the post did not tell the entire story. In fact, critics accused AOC of lying and slapped the social media post with a community note. AXIOS HIT WITH COMMUNITY NOTE AFTER CLAIMING HARRIS WAS NEVER ‘BORDER CZAR’ “The depicted rally is the Festival de la Esperanza, hosted by the anti-colonial parties of Movimiento Victoria Ciudadana (MVC) and Partido Independentista Puertorriqueño (PIP) ahead of the next colonial elections,” the note read. “It had nothing to do with any of the US’s main parties.” Several users on X accused AOC of lying and misleading people, with one even accusing her of using Puerto Rico for her own political goals. Fox News Digital has reached out to her for comment on the matter, but did not immediately hear back. CBS STATION SLAPPED WITH COMMUNITY NOTE AFTER CLAIMING TRUMP MISLED ABOUT HARRIS-BACKED BAIL FUND In a follow-up post on X, AOC attempted to clear up her remarks. “I did not mention Kamala and stated this is about anti-corruption Alianza,” she wrote. “To build a coalition, it is relevant to note that PNP’s Jenniffer Gonzalez ran Latinos for Trump & campaigns on scare tactics about Dalmau cutting [Social] Security when she’s empowered cuts via membership w/GOP.” Still, users continue to bash AOC on her post that amassed over 5.7 million views. AOC, ELON MUSK SPAR AFTER TWITTER CEO SUSPENDS CNN, NYT, WAPO JOURNOS FOR POSTING ‘ASSASSINATION COORDINATES’ Billionaire Elon Musk, who owns X, also chimed in on her post, simply writing, “lol.” AOC and Musk have feuded over various issues for at least the last two years. In an instance in September 2023, AOC slammed Musk on social media after he said she is “not that smart.” AOC had mocked House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., playing off a social media meme of “girl math,” where people use bad math to justify spending habits, by saying, “Boy math is needing 15 attempts to count the votes correctly to become Speaker and then shutting down the government 9 months later.”  AOC BLISTERED AFTER RESPONSE TO ELON MUSK SAYING SHE’S ‘JUST NOT THAT SMART’ In response, conservative influencer Ashley St. Clair shared a clip of AOC in which she argued that the numbers of legal immigrants who traveled to Ellis Island, New York, around the turn of the century “far eclipsed what we’re seeing now” in terms of the current migrant crisis. “Girl math is saying immigrants coming legally through Ellis Island is the same as 3 million undocumented migrants pouring through our border and costing NYC $1,000,000,000 to house migrants for free in hotels,” St. Clair said.  Musk chimed in, commenting, “She’s just not that smart.” The insult grabbed AOC’s attention, who fired back with a list of her accomplishments and a bitter send off for the X owner. “I wasn’t born rich and became the youngest woman in American history to be elected to Congress. Then I investigated Cohen, authored the largest FEMA funeral assistance program in history and led [the] creation of a US Climate Corps to create tens of thousands of new jobs,” she replied. “Stay mad.”  Fox News Digital’s Gabriel Hays contributed to this report.

Trump touts endorsements from Joe Rogan, baseball legend’s son in final battleground pitch: ‘Golden age’

Trump touts endorsements from Joe Rogan, baseball legend’s son in final battleground pitch: ‘Golden age’

Former President Donald Trump touted an American “golden age” if re-elected to the Oval Office while delivering his final campaign pitch to battleground state voters in Pennsylvania, where he was joined by high-profile supporters such as baseball legend Roberto Clemente’s son and Megyn Kelly.  “Your paychecks will be higher. Your streets will be safer and cleaner. Your communities will be richer, and your future will be brighter than ever before,” Trump said Monday evening from Pittsburgh.  “​​This will be the golden age of America,” he said to applause and cheers from the crowds.  Trump’s final day on the campaign trail included rallies and stops in North Carolina and Pennsylvania before heading to Grand Rapids, Michigan, later Monday for his final rally before Election Day. While in Pittsburgh, he was joined by Roberto Clemente Jr., a former baseball player and son of the Pittsburgh Pirates legend.  TRUMP RALLIES IN PENNSYLVANIA CITY WITH HIGHEST HISPANIC POPULATION HOURS BEFORE POLLS OPEN  “I’m very proud to be here. For the first time, I had to take a step forward. And it is very important for me to support this man, because I believe tomorrow is a change of time. … The name Clemente, what it means is goodwill and unity. I believe that your team is going to bring it all home,” Clemente Jr. told the crowds.  “I believe in everything that you stand for right now, being able to make the change for our families. My three kids that are very young, and we live here in Pennsylvania. And I told this man that I commit myself to helping RFK JR. with … our kids and making America healthy again,” the Puerto Rican baseball legend’s son continued.  Trump took the stage at Pittsburgh’s PPG Paints Arena just after 7:30 p.m., where he revealed more than an hour into the rally that he had just heard Joe Rogan officially endorsed him for president.  “It just came over the wires that Joe Rogan just endorsed me,” Trump said, following Megyn Kelly joining him on stage where she rallied support for the Trump-Vance ticket.  “That’s so nice. And he doesn’t do that. He doesn’t do that,” he continued, noting he did an expansive three-hour podcast interview with Rogan last month. “And he tends to be a little bit more liberal than some of the people in this room.” Pennsylvania is again a key battleground this cycle, ​​as Keystone State voters are championed as the ones who will likely determine the outcome of the federal election. Trump narrowly won the state in 2016 when he successfully campaigned against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, but lost the state in 2020 against President Biden.  The former president took shots at Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday evening, including continuing his pledge to “fix” what the Biden-Harris administration “broke.”  “This is all you really need to know. It’s simple, not particularly beautiful as a statement, but very simple: Kamala broke it. I will fix it,” Trump said.  BIDEN ABSENT FROM CAMPAIGN TRAIL IN HOME STATE AFTER VIRAL ‘SMACK’ GAFFE Vice President Kamala Harris is also scheduled to hold an event in Pittsburgh Monday evening, where she will be joined by a handful of celebrities, including singer Katy Perry, who is expected to perform. Trump dinged Harris for touting celebrities during her campaign events, pointing to pop singer Beyoncé joining Harris in Texas last month, when some attendees reportedly believed Beyoncé would perform during the rally. Beyoncé ultimately only addressed the crowd regarding her Harris endorsement, and did not sing.  “She tried to get stars to come in and they wouldn’t do it, actually,” Trump said. “She’d go and get Beyoncé. Beyoncé would come in, everyone’s expecting a couple of songs, and there were no songs. There was no happiness. It’s just like, ‘give me my check. I want to get out of here.’ … She should have learned this from Crooked Hillary: Always put the star after you. That way the people stay.”  FETTERMAN UNLEASHES EXPLETIVES AIMED AT TRUMP IN CNN INTERVIEW, CONCEDES 45 HAS ‘CONNECTION’ WITH PA VOTERS In his final pitch to commonwealth voters, Trump touched many of his common campaign points, including ending the illegal immigration crisis and drug crisis.  “They’re allowing people to come in from insane asylums and mental institutions from all around the world, from Venezuela to the Congo, in Africa. They’re stealing our jobs and they’re stealing countless American lives,” he said. “They’re killing a lot of people, much more than you’re reading about. The day I take office, the migrant invasion ends and the restoration of our country begins.”  Trump again called for the death penalty for any migrant found guilty of murdering an American citizen and law enforcement agent, which received applause from the crowds. He also explained he will hit Mexico and China with tariffs if the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl is found in the U.S. after originating from those nations. “We’re going to put a tariff on Mexico if they don’t immediately stop sending that horrible stuff into this country. And likewise, we’re doing it with China, if China doesn’t stop,” he said.  Polls show Trump and Harris are neck-and-neck in Pennsylvania as both candidates repeatedly visited the state in recent weeks, including repeat rallies in cities such as Reading and Allentown. Trump said during the rally that he’s anticipating “a big number in Pennsylvania.”  “Tomorrow will be the most important day in the history of our country, and together we will make America powerful again. We will make America wealthy again. We will make America healthy again. We will make America stronger,” he said.  Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Russia remains ‘active threat’ in influencing 2024 election, likely to focus on swing states: U.S. officials

Russia remains ‘active threat’ in influencing 2024 election, likely to focus on swing states: U.S. officials

American intelligence officials released a recent statement warning about Russian actors conducting “additional influence operations” to impact the upcoming election on Tuesday. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) published the latest update on its website on Monday evening. Speaking on behalf of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the ODNI detailed the latest intelligence findings. Last week, officials said that they observed Russian actors creating and disseminating a fake video that showed individuals voting illegally, and a video accusing a politician of taking a bribe. Since then, the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) has observed Russia and other foreign adversaries “conducting additional influence operations intended to undermine public confidence in the integrity of U.S. elections and stoke divisions among Americans.” “The IC expects these activities will intensify through election day and in the coming weeks, and that foreign influence narratives will focus on swing states,” the statement read. NIKKI HALEY PENS SUPPORTIVE OP-ED IN FAVOR OF TRUMP AHEAD OF ELECTION DAY: ‘EASY CALL’ Of all the foreign adversaries seeking to impact the election, the ODNI said that Russia “is the most active threat.” “Influence actors linked to Russia in particular are manufacturing videos and creating fake articles to undermine the legitimacy of the election, instill fear in voters regarding the election process, and suggest Americans are using violence against each other due to political preferences, judging from information available to the IC,” the ODNI continued. “These efforts risk inciting violence, including against election officials.” “We anticipate Russian actors will release additional manufactured content with these themes through election day and in the days and weeks after polls close.” TRUMP CAMPAIGN CLARIFIES AFTER CANDIDATE JOKES ABOUT SHOOTING ‘THROUGH THE FAKE NEWS’ IN PENNSYLVANIA In recent days, Russian actors created an article reporting about false plans for swing state officials to orchestrate election fraud, and also made a recent video that “falsely depicted an interview with an individual claiming election fraud in Arizona. Officials also believe that Iranian actors may be meddling with the election and disseminating false information, as they have done in the past. The meddlers may intend “to create fake media content intended to suppress voting or stoke violence, as they have done in past election cycles,” the ODNI noted. The FBI encourages anyone who observes suspicious or criminal activity to call 1-800-CALL-FBI. Cyber incidents impacting election infrastructure can be reported to the CISA through the number 1-844-SAY-CISA. The report came less than 24 hours before polls are set to open on Nov. 5, in what is expected to be a toss-up election between Vice President Harris and former President Trump. Swing states across the country have been on the lookout for fake ballots. On Monday, the chair of a Pennsylvania county election board announced that he had found 2,500 suspicious registration and mail-in ballot applications. At least 17% of the applications were fraudulent.

Colorado secretary of state reveals voting equipment passwords were posted online for 4 months

Colorado secretary of state reveals voting equipment passwords were posted online for 4 months

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold revealed voting equipment passwords were posted online for four months before being noticed and taken down in a concerning security breach ahead of the election. Griswold, a Democrat, said the passwords were posted on June 21 and were taken down on Oct. 24.  A former staff member created a spreadsheet that contained the passwords in a hidden tab. The spreadsheet was then posted on the Colorado Department of State’s subpage for voting system equipment, Griswold’s office said. Griswold’s office said the employee left “amicably” before the breach was made public. However, Griswold refused to share specific details about the employee’s departure.  COLORADO SECRETARY OF STATE SITE ‘IMPROPERLY’ DISPLAYED PARTIAL PASSWORDS FOR VOTING SYSTEMS Griswold’s office determined that 34 of Colorado’s 64 counties were affected by the password breach. While the breach was discovered on Oct. 24, it wasn’t made public until the Colorado Republican Party revealed it in an email five days later. Griswold defended her office’s decision not to detail the breach to the public right away, claiming she didn’t know if the passwords were active. She said she wanted to understand the “size and scope of the disclosure” first. ARIZONA COUNTY DEFENDS RESTORING 98,000 WITH UNCONFIRMED CITIZENSHIP TO VOTER ROLLS The Colorado Libertarian Party is suing the state over the breach. Griswold’s office said all affected active equipment had undergone password updates with support from the Governor’s Office of Information Technology, Colorado Bureau of Investigation and Colorado’s dedicated County Clerks. ‘CONTINUED HARASSMENT’: LAWSUIT TO BAN FEDS FROM POLLING SITES FILED BY MISSOURI REPUBLICANS Griswold insisted Colorado’s elections are safe. The secretary’s office said it is working with a law firm on an outside investigation to determine how the breach happened, how it could be prevented and any recommendations for improvement.  It added it will also require additional cybersecurity training with all staff, including password management and security procedures.