Colorado Governor Jared Polis granted clemency on Friday to former county elections clerk Tina Peters, who was convicted of illegally tampering with voting machines as she pursued unfounded claims that the 2020 presidential election had been stolen.
Polis, a Democrat, wrote in his clemency letter that he was commuting her nine-year prison sentence to time already served, ordering her release on parole effective June 1. Peters, 70, would otherwise not have been eligible for release until November 2028.
Peters, a Republican, was an outspoken supporter of Donald Trump's baseless claims that he lost the 2020 election due to widespread fraud.
She was the clerk of Mesa County when indicted in 2022 after a security breach led to voting equipment passwords being posted on a right-wing blog. She denied wrongdoing but was convicted in 2024 on seven counts, including attempting to influence a public servant.
