At least a dozen mail ballots were stolen, fraudulently filled out and submitted in Mesa County for the Nov. 5 election in a scheme announced Thursday by Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold. Authorities detected the scheme before most of the ballots were processed,

At least a dozen mailed ballots were intercepted and cast on the Western Slope before voters received them, according to the Colorado Secretary of State's Office.

A voter fraud criminal investigation is underway in Mesa County as Colorado election officials say that at least a dozen fraudulent ballots were submitted in the county, with three having been counted.

Colorado authorities are investigating an incident in which at least 12 mail ballots appear to have been intercepted before reaching voters intended to receive them, according to a statement from the state's top elections official on Thursday.

A criminal investigation is underway in Colorado after election officials say they foiled an effort to fraudulently cast votes using at least a dozen stolen mail ballots, according to reports. The scheme,

The effort to vote in Mesa County using stolen ballots was blocked by Colorado's voter signature verification process.