February 26, 2026 09:53 AM UTC

Seven Extra Days of Trump Election Monkeywrenching Protection?

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• by: Colorado Pols

9NEWS’ Marshall Zelinger reported Tuesday evening on a bill that might seem like a small change at first glance, but could become crucial in the increasingly likely event that President Donald Trump attempts to meddle with Colorado’s proven and trusted mail-ballot election system this fall:

The change that Colorado is considering by sending ballots out one month ahead of an election is to get around any U.S. Postal Service slowdown that could result from the direction of President Trump.

“We have the contingency plans in place to still get those ballots out to you even if, for whatever reason, Trump attempts to make any influence on our delivery,” said Carly Koppes, Republican Weld County Clerk.

“I think people are rightfully concerned about election interference from the federal government,” [Rep. Emily] Sirota said.

“I was wanting to try and adjust to make sure that they have plenty of time to get their ballot, even if there’s something going on with the post office,” Koppes said.

“Something going on with the post office” is one hell of a euphemism, but we’ll forgive it in light of the overall commendable integrity of Republican county clerks in Colorado–with the one obvious exception–who have proven indispensable in the pushback against the falsehoods promulgated by the Trump administration about mail ballots. Colorado voters in both parties as well as the clerks in charge of counting the votes every election know from experience that the system not only works but greatly increases voter participation. Trump’s pathological refusal to accept defeat in the 2020 presidential election has led to baseless second-guessing of our state’s lived experience, and it’s just one of many reasons why Republicans have lost ground at all levels across the state since Trump took control of the Republican Party.

Unfortunately, the U.S. Postal Service is part of the federal government’s executive branch. And under Trump’s policy of overreach now and listen to the courts maybe never, it is not possible for us to predict all the ways he might choose to interfere with the midterms.

With all of this in mind, mailing out ballots a week earlier seems like the least we can do.