GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Two women have been arrested in Mesa County after attempting to submit fraudulent ballots in the 2024 General Election, according to the Colorado Secretary of State’s office. Vicki Lyn Stuart, 64, and Salley Jane Maxedon (a.k.a. Smith), 60, face multiple charges, including identity theft, attempting to influence a public servant, and forgery.
The investigation began when Mesa County Elections Department officials noticed discrepancies in signatures on several mail-in ballots. Alarmed voters had reported that their ballots had been rejected due to signature issues. Prosecutors revealed that between Oct. 11 and Oct. 24, Stuart and Maxedon conspired to “test” the county’s signature verification system by submitting forged ballots to see if the system would catch the fraudulent signatures.
Stuart, a USPS mail carrier, was identified as a suspect after investigators found that the ballots came from two different USPS mailbox clusters, accessible only by mail carriers. Fingerprint evidence later connected Maxedon to the fraudulent ballots. During her interview, Maxedon admitted to filling out several stolen ballots provided by Stuart, a friend and co-worker.
The fraudulent scheme was uncovered when Stuart became concerned after learning about the ongoing criminal investigation into the ballots. Both Stuart and Maxedon were arrested after investigators found Stuart in possession of postal stamps matching those used on the stolen ballots.
Mesa County Clerk Bobbie Gross praised the county’s election security measures, stating that they were effective in detecting the fraud and ensuring voter confidence. Investigations are ongoing, with prosecutors confirming that more fraudulent ballots may be discovered, and additional victims may be involved.
