Sentence commuted for election tampering.
Parole effective June 1, 2026.
Decision draws criticism from officials.
Atlas AI
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on Friday, May 15, 2026, commuted the nine-year prison sentence of former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, who was convicted of tampering with election equipment. Polis said Peters will be granted parole effective June 1, 2026. The decision came after a state appeals court ruled last month that Peters’ original sentence was improper and ordered she be resentenced.
Peters was sentenced in August 2024 after a jury convicted her of four felony counts and three misdemeanor counts tied to allowing unauthorized access to county election equipment in 2021, officials said. The access led to the public posting of sensitive data, including machine passwords, and required Mesa County to replace its voting machines.
In a statement, Polis said he was not pardoning Peters and had never considered a pardon. He said she “violated state law and broke the public trust” and would remain a convicted felon, but argued the nearly nine-year prison term was disproportionate for a first-time, non-violent offender.
Appeals court order and parole effective June 1
The commutation follows a state appeals court decision last month that found the sentence improper and directed resentencing. Polis said his action was intended to correct what he described as an error by the trial court in imposing the length of the prison term.
Polis also said Peters’ actions were illegal, wrong and financially costly to Mesa County and Colorado. The executive action sets a parole date but does not erase the conviction, he said.
Democratic officials criticize clemency decision
The commutation drew criticism from several Colorado officials. Secretary of State Jena Griswold called the clemency grant “an affront to our democracy,” while Attorney General Phil Weiser described it as “mind-boggling and wrong.”
Sen. Michael Bennet said he “vehemently” disagreed with the decision, writing that Peters “broke the law, undermined our elections, and was convicted by a jury of her peers.”
State officials are expected to focus next on the resentencing process ordered by the appeals court and on any further legal steps related to Peters’ conviction and parole terms.