Bill could lead to state takeover of local elections
HARTFORD — Bridgeport's balloting irregularities that led to multiple rounds of court-ordered voting for mayor are the impetus for a proposed law that would create a new state board that could take over the elections there, or in other troubled towns and cities.
Other proposed legislation would also require the State Elections Enforcement Commission to meet deadlines in referring their investigations to the office of the Chief State's Attorney for criminal probes.
But during a public hearing Monday on the bills, a top Republican on the General Assembly's Government Administration & Elections Committee, doubted if the new laws would be effective in what he called systemic violations of election law in the state's most-populous city.
State Rep. Matt Blumenthal, D-Stamford, and Sen. Mae Flexer, D-Killingly, committee co-chairs, said that as currently written, a new, 17-member Municipal Election Accountability Board would rate local voting problems on four escalating levels, with the first being the least problematic, such as a voter registrar office that was closed during business hours, to the fourth tier, where more-serious problems could push the board to order a state takeover of local elections.
“We imagine this board having a fair amount of discretion to figure out how these tiers should be met, and what measures are necessary to address any problems,” Blumenthal told reporters before a major public hearing on election reforms. “I think the ultimate form of this bill, whatever it is, will make clear that in order to make that high-tier takeover of an election, it's a pretty high standard and it has to involve multiple violations over time that have made the board believe that such a drastic measure is necessary.”
Asked whether Bridgeport's track record would qualify, including a criminal referral last year for allegations of illegal handling of absentee ballots in the 2019 Democratic mayoral primary between Mayor Joe Ganim and then-challenger Sen. Marilyn Moore, Flexer noted that currently, no one has been charged with breaking any laws.
That was followed by the 2023 municipal election where Bridgeport voters headed to the polls multiple times for mayoral primaries and general election do-overs ordered by the courts. A judge threw out the results of the first Democratic primary based on allegations of absentee ballot box stuffing after challenger John Gomes, coming off a narrow loss to Ganim in September, released security camera videos showing a woman making multiple trips to deposit what appeared to be absentee ballots into a drop box.
“I would say looking at that, the State Elections Enforcement Commission had some investigations in 2019, then we saw the issues that happened in 2023, I think it's fair to assess that this board might evaluate the situation in Bridgeport to be at a higher tier,” Flexer said, standing next to Blumenthal outside a Legislative Office Building meeting room on Monday. “We can't say it definitely but I would think it might be cause for the board to look at a municipality that had that kind of history in that short a time to say this is a place where we need to have additional scrutiny and additional oversight in how elections are administered in this community.
We're trying to find a balance here, right? Understanding that here in Connecticut our elections are run locally, that they are run in each individual town and we have a long and proud history of that.”
“We are somewhat unique,” Blumenthal added. “Our elections are run town-by-town, they are run by 169 town clerks, 338 registrars of voters and almost all of them at almost all times are doing a tremendous job, and we don't want to create a one-sizefits-all solution that throws the baby out with the bath water.” Blumenthal said the proposed legislation, drafted in recent days, would also require more transparency from state prosecutors on whether they pursue criminal charges.
During Monday's public hearing, state Sen. Rob Sampson of Wolcott, a top Republican on the panel, sparred with Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas over the issue. He wondered about the effect that appointed monitors had during the Bridgeport elections that they witnessed last year and this year.
Thomas said in a thirdtier scenario, election monitors could visit housing complexes and provide information on election law to clarify issues for voters and campaign workers, such as who is allowed to place an absentee ballot in a drop box for a voter.
Sampson said that bad actors have the resources to potentially engage in election fraud. “We keep making these steps to expand the authority and power of government, but we're not going after the problem, in my mind,” Sampson said. “For me, the Bridgeport issue brought to light the potential of absentee ballot fraud. To me, that's pretty straight forward. What with ... the drop box and the video. Nothing that I've seen in this bill is necessarily going to address that.”
“There are little things in the process that can be fixed, fairly simply, and make our system stronger and better for all voters, not just voters in one city,” said Thomas, the state's top election administrator. “In terms of the video footage in Bridgeport last year, I'm not sure there is one cause and effect. I think there are a few different pockets. I try to remind people there is a difference between voter disenfranchisement and someone who may be breaking the law.”
On Friday, Thomas's office made several referrals to the SEEC, including a complaint from a top Ganim aide charging that Gomes had offered cash for completed absentee ballots. The SEEC acknowledged receiving the complaint, but no vote on a possible investigation has come up, as yet. The regulatory agency is already investigating dozens of complaints in the various city primaries and general election from last year and this year.