RadioEd is a biweekly podcast created by the DU Newsroom that taps into the University of Denver’s deep pool of bright brains to explore new takes on today’s top stories.

Former County Clerk Tina Peters, who oversaw elections in rural Mesa County in western Colorado, made headlines around the country when her election conspiracy theories allegedly led to actions that brought about charges of attempting to influence a public servant, identity theft and several other felonies.

Were her actions those of a rogue public servant, or were they tied to larger national trends? On this episode of RadioEd, Matt chats with Seth Masket, professor of political science and director of the Center on American Politics at the University of Denver, and Charles Ashby, a veteran reporter whose work in the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel helped unravel some of the convoluted details surrounding Peters’ criminal case.

Seth Masket is a professor of political science and the director of the Center on American Politics at the University of Denver. He is the author of Learning from Loss: The Democrats 2016-2020 (Cambridge, 2020), The Inevitable Party: Why Attempts to Kill the Party System Fail and How they Weaken Democracy (Oxford, 2016), and No Middle Ground: How Informal Party Organizations Control Nominations and Polarize Legislatures (Michigan, 2009), as well as a co-author of a recent textbook on political parties. He studies political parties, campaigns and elections, and state legislatures. He contributes regularly at FiveThirtyEight, Mischiefs of Faction and the Denver Post. He is currently working on a book project examining the Republican Party’s interpretations of the 2020 election and its preparations for 2024.

Charles Ashby covers politics for the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel in western Colorado. He has nearly 45 years of experience covering politics in Colorado and has written stories for publications in Denver, Pueblo, Colorado Springs, Boulder, Longmont, Durango, Steamboat Springs, Montrose and Sterling, as well as work that has appeared in newspapers in Virginia, Nebraska and Florida.

More information:

Ashby's reporting on Tina Peters:

Griswold decertifies Mesa County Election Equipment: https://www.gjsentinel.com/breaking/breaking_news/griswold-decertifies-mesa-county-election-equipment/article_02490f8e-fb8d-11eb-95d4-ebcb4e0b04ef.html

Peters tweets conspiracy theory over election system: https://www.gjsentinel.com/news/western_colorado/peters-tweets-conspiracy-theory-over-election-system/article_3a73d404-4ec5-11eb-9597-1b5e0fdc20da.html

Peters' cost to county: $1.3 million and rising: https://www.gjsentinel.com/news/western_colorado/peters-cost-to-county-1-3-million-and-rising/article_e2349914-f3ef-11ec-9755-cbda39e9db82.html

Arrest warrant issued for Tina Peters: https://www.gjsentinel.com/news/western_colorado/arrest-warrant-issued-for-tina-peters/article_1976d4ee-03b5-11ed-baa3-978fbf3d366e.html

Peters set to receive refund: https://www.gjsentinel.com/news/western_colorado/peters-set-to-receive-refund/article_6bf075b8-53d3-11ed-b554-d7da1a7d772a.html

Recommended by Seth Masket:

The most important attorney general and secretary of state races to watch: https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/secretary-of-state-elections/

Has your state made it harder to vote: https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/voting-restrictions-by-state/

Election denial in races for election administration positions: https://www.brennancenter.org/series/election-denial-races-election-administration-positions

Security resources for election officials: https://www.eac.gov/election-officials/election-official-security