Custer County Elections will be safe and accurate this November

By Kelley Camper

In light of an ongoing investigation into a data breach in some county offices, I thought it was important that you hear directly from me, your elected County Clerk and Recorder, about why the elections we hold in November will be secure and the results will be accurate.

I recognize the work of Sheriff Smith and don’t want to do anything that might interfere with an active investigation, so I will only outline the security measures that are always in place in our Elections Division and not address specifically, the current situation he is investigating.

First and foremost, our voting equipment is not and never has been connected to the internet.  That means there is no way the equipment can be “hacked” by anyone outside.  To make any changes at all to our equipment, you must have physical access to the individual pieces of equipment.

Next, only two individuals have physical access to our sealed and locked up voting equipment between elections, and that is myself and my elections manager.  Nobody is ever alone with the equipment and the room where the equipment is stored is under continuous camera surveillance.

I’m confident that our voting equipment was not compromised. However, with an abundance of caution, a Trusted Build was performed on our voting equipment last week.  This Trusted Build further ensures that our voting system software and firmware have been unaltered as we prepare for this election.  Voters can feel confident that their vote will be counted exactly as they cast it for the November General Election.

In October, we will conduct a public test of the voting equipment, which again, would allow us to catch anything that might be wrong.

As you return your ballots in November, they will be handled under strict security by bipartisan teams of election judges who will make sure your vote is accurately recorded. Following the election, a second team of volunteer citizens will check our results and will certify the vote.  Every ballot, envelope, and any material related to the election will be saved for 25 months and is always open to public inspection.

I outline these security procedures, which we follow to the letter, because I want you to hear directly from me why you can trust the election results from our county.  We have worked hard to ensure that our processes protect the voting equipment and the sanctity of your ballot at every step of the way.  We would never do anything to compromise your trust in your right to make your voice heard.

I know these are difficult times and it is easy to be confused about what you are seeing and hearing.  If you have any questions at all about the work we do to carry out your elections, I urge you to reach out to me to get your questions answered.  We are your source for accurate information!

by Fred Hernandez
One of the most important events presented by Liberty Rocks took place on August 15, 2024 at Lange Hall on 3rd Street in the town of Westcliffe. It had to do with the safety and possibly even the very life of the most vulnerable in our community: our children, your children.
Chairperson Ann Barthrop called to order the meeting at 6 p.m. and after the standard opening procedures including the Pledge of Allegiance and the group song “America The Beautiful”, the invocation was given by Dr. Ann Willson. Directly from the book “Prayers and Presidents” by W.J. Federer, she quoted from Abraham Lincoln on April 6, 1859. referring to the dark days of slavery in the country. The significant part of the quote was  “Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves, and under a just God, cannot long retain it.” These are very fitting words for the times as we see powerful politicians attempting to move our country in that wrong direction. She followed up with a quote from Dwight Eisenhower while he was on a European trip in September 10, 1959; “We venerate more widely than any other document, except only the Bible, the American Declaration of Independence. The Declaration was more than a call to national action. It is a voice of conscience establishing clear, enduring values applicable to the lives of all men. It stands enshrined today as a charter of human liberty and dignity.” Once again. words most appropo for these times in history.
With much ground to cover on a most important topic affecting thousands of children and families across the United States the Chair immediately introduced the guest speaker for the even-ing, author John DiGirolamo, who has written several books pertaining to one of the most pernicious of criminal activities potentially affecting many families everywhere. John is a member of the board of bvhope.org a non profit founded ten years ago in Buena Vista, Colorado, where he is from. This organization has been bringing awareness and education about human trafficking to the general public. They visit police departments, hospitals, schools and the communities at large. But, unfortunately, as John himself has experienced, there is scant interest and in most cases he has experienced a rate of 90% turn downs. Tragically this is the prevailing mood of society and there will be some dire consequences eventually.
This apathetic mood was on full display on the evening of August 15 at Lange Hall where most of the attendees were older residents. It was truly sad that more parents of young children were not in attendance to learn of the very real danger faced by their beloved children and the ways to protect them against all the evil that is arrayed against them by human trafficking and the destructive, potentially deadly results of en-countering the demonic denizens
of that evil world. Yes, apathy. The lack of feeling or emotion, the lack of concern. If it is not happening directly to me or my family it does not matter. The warnings are very clear and they are all around us everyday.
Author DiGirolamo, the harbinger
of all the evil that could be heaped on an unsuspecting family, has done a great job. The work he has accomplished in his “It Is Not About….” collection of books is
truly a very important contribution to the information and
education of parents. A service of unparalleled value if it saves the life of one child let alone many. If only the parents would take a little more interest in the safety and well being of their children.
Once again in his talk author John reiterates the clear and present danger of the internet and the cell phone. The applications, so called APPs, for the cell phones are so many and difficult to keep track of. The most notorious are Instagram, Tik-Tok and Snapchat to which children easily gravitate. They wrongly believe that in a group chat ( sometimes as many as twenty or more) they are safe. Never. Everything they say and do says in cyberspace forever. Even worse is if they send pictures of themselves, it gets passed around multiple times. In the meantime predators are lurking in the shadows waiting for the right victim. It is on the internet that they “groom” their victims. They are friendly. They seem to be kind and loving. They are experts at manipulation. At what age should I give my kid a phone, you might ask? The answer is simple: when you want them to see porn!
Statistics show that the average age of children viewing porn is a shocking 10 years old. TEN! Author John during his presentation showed videos of actual children talking about their sordid experiences with one of them stating unequivocally “ it destroyed my brain”. BIG PORN AND BIG TECH are responsible for destroying many of the children in this country. When a child watches porn at a young age it is not unusual to do sexting. Evil is watching at all times given the fact that there are over 750,000 registered child predators in the USA.
The books of author John DiGirolamo are an important re-source when it comes to bringing up ‘young children’ today. By ‘young children’ is meant between the tender ages of seven through at the very least eighteen, keeping in mind that a person’s brain is not fully developed until at least twenty five. These books are readily available and highly recommended: It Is Not About The Sex, It Is Not About The Badge, It Is Not About The dEvil, It Is Not About The Predator. Every story is based on personal interviews and facts. Much can be learned from them for the protection of your child. (These books are available at Amazon.)
The great and ancient battle between good and evil has intensified tremendously with the advent of the internet. While it can be used for much good, conversely it can also be used for much evil. Dabbling in the occult is one grave evil and 62% of Americans have admitted to having done. Little do they know that it opens the doorway to the netherworld. Actual, true to life stories can be found in these books by John DiGirolamo. We are all called to stand up and fight against evil in all its forms. Most especially we must stand and fight against the evil that focuses on our children.