A Grand Junction, Colorado man is facing multiple charges after authorities say he forged his father’s signature on a mail-in ballot and submitted it without permission during the June primary election. His name is Daniel Bryan Brown, and he’s 42.
Brown turned himself in at the Mesa County Detention Facility on September 16, 2026, following an investigation by the 21st Judicial District Attorney’s Office. He’s charged with two counts of forgery, offenses relating to mail ballots, and voting twice.
How It Started
Mesa County Elections flagged a ballot cast on June 30, 2026, because the signature didn’t match the one on file for the voter, Brown’s father, Stephen Brown. Since the signature didn’t check out, the ballot wasn’t counted, and county officials reached out by email to ask about the discrepancy.
Stephen Brown’s response left no ambiguity. He wrote back saying, “This is fraud. I did not vote in this primary. Do not bother me again. Do not email me again.”
What Investigators Found
An investigator with the District Attorney’s Office visited the home where Daniel and Stephen Brown live together in early August. Stephen confirmed he hadn’t given anyone permission to vote his ballot for him.
When investigators followed up with Daniel a few weeks later, he initially said he hadn’t filled out the ballot and had only signed his father’s name, claiming he had permission to do so. He later admitted he’d actually filled out the entire ballot himself. According to Daniel, he believed his father wasn’t planning to turn in the ballot, and since the two of them share similar political views, he figured he’d voted the way his dad would have anyway.
A handwriting comparison conducted by investigators found that the forged signature on Stephen’s ballot resembled Daniel’s own handwriting.
What Brown Is Facing
District Attorney Dan Rubinstein laid out the charges pretty clearly, describing them as covering three separate types of criminal conduct: two counts of forgery, which are class 6 felonies, a voting twice offense, and a charge tied to misusing the mail-in ballot process.
Voting twice on its own is an unclassified misdemeanor, carrying up to four months in county jail as a possible penalty. The forgery counts carry more serious potential consequences given their felony classification.
Interestingly, once confronted, Stephen Brown reportedly told investigators he was fine with Daniel signing and submitting his ballot, given how closely their political views aligned. He also acknowledged, according to the arrest affidavit, that his son “should not have done that.”
Not the First Case in Mesa County
This isn’t an isolated incident for Mesa County when it comes to election integrity concerns. The county has drawn both state and national attention over voting-related issues in recent years, most notably through the prolonged legal case involving former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters. Separately, county officials also secured convictions against two women who attempted to cast stolen ballots during the 2024 general election.
Where the Case Stands
Brown appeared in court following his arrest, and the case is still moving through the legal process. Right now, the charges against him remain allegations, and he’s presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. Brown reportedly told investigators he “didn’t do anything out of nefariousness,” framing his actions as an attempt to make sure his father’s ballot got submitted rather than an effort to manipulate the outcome of the election.