Jared Polis says that if there was any discussion of seizing ballot boxes, that is dangerous
Jared PolisGovernor of Colorado
Polis says that if there was any discussion of seizing ballot boxes, or of a civil war, in the context of free elections, it is dangerous and unbefitting the office of the president.
Responding to
Tina Peters' idea for the November 3 midterms is to take control of ballots as soon as voting machines count them and recount them by hand before certification, and something like that is probably going to happen.
“If there was any discussion of seizing ballot boxes or, even worse, a civil war in the context of our free elections, that's dangerous and unbefitting the office of the President of the United States.”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Tina Peters' lawyer says her midterm plan would seize counted ballots for a hand recount; Colorado Democrats object
Peter Ticktin, a lawyer for former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, told podcaster Joe Oltmann that her idea for the November 3 midterms is to take control of ballots as soon as voting machines count them and then recount them by hand before certification. He called it a good plan that is probably going to happen. Ed Martin, a former Justice Department official, said Peters met President Trump in the Oval Office on October 5 to discuss election integrity; the White House said it does not comment on private meetings that may or may not have happened. Gov. Jared Polis said that if there was any discussion of seizing ballot boxes, it was dangerous, and other Colorado Democrats criticized Peters. Newsweek found no evidence that Peters asked Trump directly to seize ballots and notes that her published plan calls for independent hand counts where feasible.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
CPR News reports Gov. Jared Polis's October 8 statement after reports that Tina Peters spoke with President Trump about a plan to seize ballots after they are counted, along with comments by Peter Ticktin and Colorado County Clerks Association head Matt Crane.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
CPR News reports that Polis was asked about reports that Peters had spoken with President Trump about a plan to seize ballots after they are counted by voting tabulators.
After the quotation
CPR News reports that the statement did not mention Peters or Polis's decision to shorten her sentence, and that Polis went on to describe Colorado's elections as secure.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The case concerns the plan Ticktin attributes to Peters, to take control of counted ballots for a hand recount, and the federal action she has sought for the midterms. Polis says any discussion of seizing ballot boxes, if it took place, is dangerous, an objection to that proposal.
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The Dispute Index. "Jared Polis says that if there was any discussion of seizing ballot boxes, that is dangerous". First published: 2026-11-01. Last updated: 2026-11-01. https://disputeindex.com/events/7556-polis-says-that-if-there-was-any-discussion