Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold discovered leaked passwords for Colorado's voting system five days before it became public and didn't change the codes until the controversy exploded into view.

Why it matters: The lack of transparency is intensifying scrutiny of the state's voting system — including from former President Trump's campaign — and amplifying the blowback against the state's top election official at a crucial moment.

Catch up quick: An employee at the Secretary of State's Office mistakenly posted a spreadsheet to its website that included a hidden tab containing what are known as BIOS passwords used to adjust the voting system's settings, according to a statement Tuesday.