The Connecticut General Assembly’s Government Administration and Elections Committee (GAE) has finally begun to work towards securing our elections. This comes after Bridgeport received national attention by requiring four mayoral elections over the course of five months due to voter fraud. Regrettably, Democrat members of the Government Administration and Elections Committee seem reluctant to pursue the solutions needed to secure our elections. 

 

State Representative Blumenthal (D-Stamford) and State Senator Flexer (D-Killingly) seek to create a new “Municipal Election Accountability Board.” This board would evaluate local elections on a four-tier scale based on the problems present. Bridgeport’s election problems are so obviously severe that anyone would assume that it would meet the highest tier. Yet, when asked, Sen. Flexer and Rep. Blumenthal said that they “can’t say definitively” if the situation in Bridgeport would be evaluated at a higher tier. 

 

Seeing as voter fraud was caught on camera, the situation deserves a high level of attention and scrutiny from state officials. “For me, the Bridgeport issue brought to light the potential of absentee ballot fraud…nothing I’ve seen in this bill is necessarily going to address that,” said Republican State Senator Robert Sampson.

 

House and Senate Republicans across the board have been fighting for election integrity. They proposed Senate Bill 390, which would introduce a mandatory jail sentence for those found guilty of voter fraud. Republican House Leader Vincent Candelora spoke out against the current election system, saying that “Democrats get to decide the election process, but it should not be a partisan process.” He added, “No one in Bridgeport has been arrested…the impact on election integrity is phenomenal, and yet we’re not going to hold anyone accountable. It’s crazy.” 

 

It’s not so crazy to Bridgeport Democrats, who re-elected Vice Chair Wanda Geter-Pataky after she was caught illegally stuffing ballot boxes. Connecticut Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas is opposed to Senate Bill 390, for example, and other Democrats have voiced opposition or hesitation. 

 

 

Are you concerned about election integrity and want to make your voice heard? Be sure to reach out to the Co-Chairs of the Government Administration and Elections Committee. 

 

State Senator Mae Flexer

860-240-8634

[email protected]

State Representative Matt Blumenthal

860-240-8585

[email protected]