DENVER, Colo. (KREX) — In an effort to ensure the secure, accurate, and timely conduction of upcoming elections, Secretary of State Jena Griswold has issued two Election Orders to appoint advisors in Mesa County.

Sheila Reiner and Wayne Williams will serve as advisors to Mesa county Designated Election Official (DEO) Brandi Bantz for the 2022 Primary Election. Reiner, the current Republican Mesa County Treasurer and former County Clerk, along with Williams a former Republican Secretary of State, will provide expertise and assistance to Ms. Bantz as needed.

Bantz was appointed as the Mesa County’s DEO after a Mesa County judge removed Tina Peters from the position and barred her from overseeing the 2022 Primary and General election. Bantz’s experience with Colorado elections stretches back over twenty years. That experience includes serving as the Director of Elections in Mesa County since May of 2020 and serving under the clerk Wayne Williams in El Paso County for four years as a Senior Elections Specialist.

“I am appointing Treasurer Reiner and former Secretary of State Williams to assist and advise Mesa County Designated Election Official Brandi Bantz as needed. Reiner, Williams, and Bantz did a tremendous job working together during Mesa County’s 2021 election, and I am confident Mesa County voters will have great elections this year too,” said Secretary Jena Griswold. “I will continue to uphold Colorado Election Law and provide the support and oversight needed to ensure the security of Colorado’s elections.”

The Election Orders can be found HERE and HERE.