Bridgeport’s problems are state’s problems

The final scene of the classic 1974 film “Chinatown” is known for the damning line, “Forget it Jake, it’s Chinatown.”

That attitude of shrugging off unyielding corruption has a nagging afterlife in the way much of the state views election issues in its largest city: “That’s just Bridgeport being Bridgeport.”

The newest case illustrates why Bridgeport’s problems are Connecticut’s problems.

The plot summary of what went down on Sept. 10 is that state Sen. Marilyn Moore beat incumbent mayor and former convict Joe Ganim at the voting booth but got bumped off the November ballot because of a noticeably lopsided 3to1 absentee ballot tally in Ganim’s favor.

In this case, it wasn’t a beleaguered gumshoe, a la “Chinatown,” but a squad of Hearst Connecticut Media journalists who went on the hunt for shenanigans. Studying documents and knocking on doors, the reporters found — among other things — sloppy records and residents who claimed feeling pressure to vote for Ganim.

Secretary of the State Denise Merrill referred the Hearst probe to the State Elections Enforcement Commission (SEEC), which began its own investigation.

One of the reasons for that hackneyed phrase about “Bridgeport just being Bridgeport” is that this is nothing new. For the sake of the State of Connecticut, there has to be better oversight.

SEEC Executive Director Michael Brandi pledged to have his team examine all absentee ballots. Possible consequences of irregularities could be fines as well as further consideration by the chief state’s attorney and federal Department of Justice officials for criminal prosecution.

“It’s our job to investigate it and then pursue a remedy,” Brandi said.

The problem is there is no quick remedy. Moore, Ganim and Republican candidate John Rodriguez deserve to know what the ballot is going to look like in the 39 days left they have to campaign.

Moore’s camp hopes to find a loophole that will allow their candidate to have a printed spot on the Nov. 5 ballot instead of facing the obstacle of trying to win as a writein. Remarkably, Moore would have been on the ballot anyway as the Working Families Party candidate, but her camp and Working Families Party bungled the gathering of a minimum of 207 signatures.

Of course, had Moore collected those signatures, she might have simply moved on. And had journalists not started asking questions, the SEEC would not be involved. But here we are.

The real remedy is to modernize voting in Connecticut. Current rules only allow absentee ballots for voters with infirmities or travel plans. It’s time to bring early voting to Connecticut and join the 27 states that don’t mandate excuses to allow voting by absentee ballot

Of course, far too many people forsake their right to participate in this Democratic process. The turnout of eligible Democrats for the Bridgeport was anemic, barely cracking 20 percent. Think about all the other people who won’t even register.

We’re not willing to just forget it. It’s Connecticut; we can do better.

The problem is there is no quick remedy. Moore, Ganim and Republican candidate John Rodriguez deserve to know what the ballot is going to look like in the 39 days left they have to campaign.