A 61-year-old Castle Rock woman is headed to state prison for three years after a Douglas County jury found she mailed in ballots for her late ex-husband and her son in Colorado’s 2022 general election, on top of casting her own legitimate vote.
A Douglas County jury convicted Elizabeth Ann Davis in October 2025 on two counts of forgery and one count of “personating an elector,” according to a press release from the 23rd Judicial District. Prosecutors highlighted what they called her “extensive criminal record” and framed the verdict as proof that local election safeguards are working. “Those who seek to corrupt our elections... will find a DA's office intent on their incarceration,” the office said.
Davis was sentenced to three years on March 9, 2026, after the judge weighed the jury’s verdict along with her prior record, as reported by The Denver Post.
At trial, prosecutors told jurors they had evidence that Davis returned mail ballots in the names of her deceased ex-husband and her son, while also voting legally for herself in the same election, according to AP News. They also pointed to prior convictions for forgery, theft and drug offenses as part of the record the jury was allowed to consider.
Local context
Election prosecutions like this remain rare in Colorado, and local officials often point to signature checks and multiple layers of review as the reason suspicious ballots get flagged before they can affect results. This case followed a separate Castle Rock prosecution in which a 70-year-old woman pleaded guilty to personating an elector and received 20 days in jail after signing her dead landlord’s ballot, Denver7 reported.
What the law says
Forgery in Colorado is prosecuted under C.R.S. § 18-5-102 and is commonly charged as a class 5 felony that can carry a prison term of up to three years, according to state code summaries. C.R.S. § 18-5-102 and provisions in the municipal election code address separate election offenses such as personating an elector, and those election sections, including C.R.S. 31-10-1529, set out fines and potential jail penalties under state law.
Davis is represented by a lawyer from the state public defender’s office, which did not comment, AP News reported. The 23rd Judicial District said the sentence reflects its intent to deter ballot tampering and protect local election integrity.
