Colorado Gov. Polis Halves Tina Peters’ Prison Sentence

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis commuted the sentence of former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters on May 15, 2026, cutting her term from eight years and three months in Department of Corrections custody plus six months in county jail to four years and four and a half months. Peters will be released on parole effective June 1, 2026.

The commutation order explicitly states that it shall not in any way affect the underlying criminal conviction. Polis announced clemency for 44 individuals that day, including 35 pardons and nine commutations. Tina Peters, 70, had spent more than 600 days incarcerated as of the commutation date.

She was convicted in 2024 of three counts of attempt to influence a public servant, one count of conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, official misconduct, violation of duty elections, and failure to comply with secretary of state requirements.

The incident involving unauthorized access to Mesa County voting machines occurred six months after the 2020 election. Peters' actions in 2021 cost the county nearly one million dollars in replacement voting equipment.

She was originally sentenced on October 3, 2024, to nearly nine years in prison. On April 2, 2026, the Colorado Court of Appeals upheld Peters' convictions but ruled she must be re-sentenced because the trial judge improperly factored in her protected speech. Polis said the decision centered on that issue.

"In this case there is absolutely both the appearance and frankly, I believe the likelihood that her speech was considered in her sentencing," he stated. The governor added that he was cutting Peters' sentence in half to four and a half years. "It's about doing what's right.

Even though of course I disagree with her speech just as the judge incorrectly stated that he did. But that's not a factor in, it should not be a factor in the sentencing," Polis said. He denied that the commutation was an attempt to appease President Donald Trump.

In January 2026, Polis had stated that Peters' sentence "absolutely... stands out" compared to other nonviolent first-time offenders. He noted that in her clemency application Peters admitted to making a mistake and committed to following the law going forward.

Peters released a statement acknowledging errors. "I made mistakes, and for those I am sorry. Five years ago I misled the Secretary of State when allowing a person to gain access to county voting equipment.

That was wrong. I have learned and grown during my time in prison and going forward I will make sure that my actions always follow the law, and I will avoid the mistakes of the past," she said. " on social media.

Trump had issued a symbolic pardon to Peters in December 2025, which carried no legal effect on her state conviction. Matt Crane, executive director of the Colorado County Clerks Association, criticized the move. "This is now Governor Polis' legacy.

He will not be able to run from it, nor redefine it later. When given the opportunity to stand firmly for the rule of law, for the integrity of Colorado elections and for the public servants who defend them, he chose a different path," Crane said. U.S.

Sen. Michael Bennet said he "vehemently disagreed" with Polis' decision. " Polis is in his last year as governor due to term limits in 2026. The commutation follows months of pressure from the Trump administration and an appeals court finding that Peters' protected speech had been improperly weighed at sentencing.