For voters who believe the Colorado Secretary of State should use taxpayer dollars intended to secure elections to help counties address security gaps and upgrade aging voter registration systems, then Pam Anderson is your candidate.
Democrats who don’t really believe there could be a problem with voter security or thinks constant vigilance and millions in taxpayer dollars are needed to update equipment should just return all that money to taxpayers and vote for the incumbent Jena Griswold.
As we have reported, Griswold’s priority during her first term has been to spend more than $4 million promoting herself in ads, rather than to use the election-dedicated funding on actual election upgrades and security.
The most recent is a thinly disguised reelection ad with Griswold alongside the former Republican Secretary of State she beat for the job in the 2018 campaign, Wayne Williams.
Axios Denver reports the TV ad will air 5,000 times during high-profile programming that includes Broncos games and Griswold’s hardcore political base tuning in to watch the “Bachelorette.”
Just to recap — your tax dollars are paying for “Bachelorette” ads featuring a politician up for reelection to tell us 5,000 times that all is well.
From Axios Denver:
Why it matters: The money comes from an account that covers the cost of election equipment and software upgrades — a move that is generating questions and criticism.
County clerks — the elected officials who administer elections in Colorado — wanted to spend the money on improving voting access, but they say they were rebuffed.
Rather than spend the money on essential software upgrades, Griswold and Williams used the money to reinforce hateful Democrat talking points that only conspiracy theory whack jobs want secure elections.
Taxpayers spent $425,000 to produce the ads, plus $1.1 million for airtime. Additionally, Griswold will spend yet another $1.1 million for digital and print ads ahead of Election Day.
Axios Denver also thought it important to report that Inline Media CEO Ilene Nathanson is a donor to Democratic candidates and will pocket $310,000 from the advertising contract for the ads.
A Republican advocacy group has requested a campaign finance investigation into the ad campaign, and yet the inquiry would be handled by the Secretary of State’s office, which has not responded to the request.