After three election cycles of using early and absentee balloting in Jefferson County, there have been only three instances of fraud detected by the county clerk's office. Additionally, despite the increased use of mail balloting in off-year and municipal elections, there has been no increase of fraud reported. The Colorado Secretary of State, a public supporter of Bighorn's legislative effort and a former county clerk and recorder herself, has stated that her office will be dedicated to developing rigorous standards to prevent fraud and ensure consistency. Because mail ballots are sent out several weeks before the election, voters can mark their ballots and return them ahead of the election. This allows county elections officials to begin the signature verification process days and even weeks ahead of the actual election day, contributing to a thoughtful and efficient vote tabulation process.
Fraud can easily occur at a polling place, too.
Officials at polling places are not allowed to ask voters for identification before allowing them to vote. Federal law states that voters cannot be denied the right to vote, and if they don't have identification with them they can't be turned away. Currently, Colorado only offers an affidavit for voters to sign stating that they are the same person who registered to vote. If a different person signs in as that registered voter, they face federal and state perjury violations. The penalty for vote fraud is already tough.