1. United States
2. Colo.
3. Letter

Dear Governor Polis, I am writing to demand, in the strongest possible terms, that you refuse to pardon Tina Peters. This is not a matter of political disagreement or partisan interpretation — Peters was convicted by a jury of her peers for crimes that strike at the very heart of our democratic system. She deliberately and unequivocally interfered with the administration of a free and fair election, conspiring to breach the security of voting systems in Mesa County in a reckless attempt to overturn results she refused to accept. A pardon would not be an act of mercy or justice; it would be a deliberate erasure of accountability for one of the most serious offenses a public official can commit: the betrayal of the voters she swore to serve. The courts have spoken. The evidence was overwhelming. There is no legitimate legal, moral, or ethical basis for clemency here. Governor, your constituents — Democrats, Republicans, and independents alike — depend on you to defend the institutions that make self-governance possible. Granting this pardon would not be an independent act of conscience; it would be capitulation to a broader authoritarian movement that has made the normalization of election subversion its central project. It would signal to every bad-faith actor in this country that interfering with elections carries no real consequence, so long as the political winds eventually shift in your favor. Colorado deserves better. Democracy deserves better. You were elected to lead with courage, not to bend to political pressure from those who view the rule of law as an obstacle rather than a foundation. Do not pardon Tina Peters. Stand with your constituents and stand with democracy.