Panel backs election changes amid Bridgeport scandal

The General Assembly’s key committee on elections Tuesday night overwhelmingly approved a bill aimed at tightening state voting procedures. But the proposal was first blasted by Republicans who for 75 minutes charged that it would do nothing to stop the kind of absentee ballot irregularities that plagued Bridgeport and prompted a Superior Court judge to order multiple mayoral primaries and general elections.

The Democratic-dominated Government Administration & Elections Committee approved a bill that would require towns and cities to provide video surveillance of ballot drop boxes; limit the number of absentee — or mail-in — ballot applications that can be signedout and circulated; revise the way absentee ballots are printed; make voter intimidation a felony; and require the chief state’s attorney to publicly report on criminal referrals received from the State Election Enforcement Commission.

“This measure before us makes a number of changes to state election law,” said Sen. Mae Flexer, D-Killingly, co-chairwoman of the committee.

Another section of the legislation that in earlier drafts would have eliminated the state’s Independent Party, was deleted.

In a protracted debate with multiple references to Bridgeport, Sen. Rob Sampson of Wolcott, a ranking Republican on the committee, charged that election integrity is very important, and the Democratic legislation falls short. He called the legislation “a phony baloney drop box video bill which doesn’t change a thing.”

Sampson’s six amendments, including voter signature verification to be developed by the secretary of the state; mandatory audits of voter rolls and absentee ballot applications, were defeated along party lines on the committee, which has a 13-6 Democratic majority. He promised to offer the amendments again if the legislation reaches the Senate before the midnight May 8 adjournment deadline.

“These things are very straight forward policy,” Sampson said after the first four of six amendments failed shortly before 7 p.m., more than seven hours after the meeting began with a 28-item agenda the day before its deadline to approve committee bills. Two final amendments that also were rejected by Democrats would have required individual voters to apply for their own absentee ballots; and require photo ID for people to cast ballots.

“I don’t want to see another episode like we saw in Bridgeport,” he said. “You know what undermines elections? People that are voting who should not be. Or people casting votes for people that are not themselves. That’s what is happening. That’s what needs to end. We are in dangerous territory in this state on our election integrity. I’ll note, by the way, that no one was prosecuted in Bridgeport and I suspect no one ever will be, even though there were people caught on tape clearly putting things into the drop box that do not represent a single absentee ballot.”

“It’s unfortunate that our amendments did not pass,” said Rep. Gale Mastrofrancesco of Wolcott, a ranking Republican. “I think there are some good pieces in this bill, but I don’t think it will do anything to deter bad actors.”

After the approval of the legislation, the committee overwhelmingly approved a related bill that would increase criminal penalties for election fraud with mandatory minimums of a year in prison for people who knowingly violate election law.

“This is a mechanism that is going to prevent people from interfering with our election process,” Sampson said, thanking the Democrats for allowing what is a Republican priority this legislative session to be a stand-alone bill. “It’s a good policy. Obviously if we want to deter bad actors from engaging in fraud and interfering with our election process, there has to be reasonable and reasonably stiff penalties.”

State Rep. Matt Blumenthal, D-Stamford, cochairman of the committee, who voted for the bill, said mandatory minimums have been found to be enforced unevenly across race, income level and ethnicity. “While there are certainly some instances where people commit crimes with the knowledge necessary to maybe justify a year’s imprisonment, there are probably others where it’s not justified,” he said.