1-minute voter guide: GOP secretary of state race hinges on 2020 election security

The Republican contest for Colorado's secretary of state is drawing national attention.

What's happening: The most prominent candidate, Mesa County clerk Tina Peters, is seeking the party's nomination despite being indicted earlier this year for election tampering and stripped of her duties.

• The state GOP chairwoman even called for Peters to exit the race, but she refused, dismissing the 10 criminal charges as "trumped-up."

Why it matters: The pivot point in the race is election security, and Peters' role as one of the state's chief 2020 election deniers is raising the stakes.

Meet the candidates: The other top contender is Pam Anderson, the former Jefferson County clerk and past director of the county clerks association.

• Anderson says Colorado's election system is fair and secure, and accuses Peters of spreading disinformation.
• In her campaign, she's focused on improving the signature verification process for ballots.

A third candidate is Mike O'Donnell, an economist who works with nonprofits but doesn't have election administrative experience.

• His campaign is low-profile, but he also is expressing skepticism about the validity of the 2020 election.

The intrigue: One issue dividing the candidates is mail ballots, the Colorado Sun reports.

• Peters wants to roll back the state's system of sending ballots to active registered voters and limit it to people who can't vote in person.
• Anderson touts the current system, calling it a great access.
• O'Donnell questioned why ballots are sent to residents with out-of-state addresses, and he wants to repeal automatic voter registration.

What's next: The winner of Tuesday's primary will face Democratic incumbent Jena Griswold in November.