Election Administration and 2020 Aftermath

A Colorado appeals court ordered former Mesa County clerk Tina Peters resentenced and, in a 74‑page opinion, explicitly rejected President Trump’s claim that a federal pardon can reach state crimes, finding that her 2024 sentence improperly punished her for continuing to promote election‑fraud conspiracies protected by the First Amendment. Peters, who is serving a nine‑year term, plans to ask at resentencing for a sentence of time served (about 540 days) to secure her release, and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis praised the ruling for upholding free‑speech rights while denying the pardon claim.