Voter Fraud Tip Line Flooded With Reports That Other Candidate Is Getting Votes

GUNNISON, CO — Election officials in Tri-Mesa County said Tuesday that their voter fraud hotline took 11,400 tips in the 14 hours after President Donald Trump offered a $1 million reward, and that 11,212 of them reported the same crime: people voting for the other guy.

Trump announced the reward Monday on Truth Social and told reporters, “I’m also going to be issuing a $1 million bonus or reward, or whatever you want to call it, for anybody that reports voter fraud, leading to the arrest and conviction of somebody.” The White House did not say where the money would come from, which county officials said has not slowed anyone down.

“One woman called to report that her brother-in-law is planning to vote on November 3rd, and that she knows exactly who for,” said county clerk and recorder Marlys Ballotine, 61. “She asked if the million comes in cash or if she has to pick it up.”

A breakdown provided by the clerk’s office shows 4,100 callers cited a neighbor’s yard sign as evidence, 2,900 said a candidate they dislike was “polling suspiciously well,” 611 reported their own spouse, and 12 asked where to drop off their ballot. The office has referred the 12 to the website.

Retired HVAC installer Duane Pockethold, 72, of Crested Butte, submitted 41 tips before breakfast. “I don’t know exactly what voter fraud is,” he said, “but I know it when I see a Subaru with a bumper sticker.”

Ballotine noted that a Heritage Foundation tracker has logged more than 1,600 incidents of voter fraud nationwide over 40 years, a total her hotline matched in tips by 9:15 a.m.

In a follow-up statement, the county said it had forwarded all 11,400 tips to Washington with a single request: that someone tell Pockethold the Subaru is his.