BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — For the third time in the last five months, Bridgeport voters will be asked to cast a ballot for their next mayor. But with so many allegations of voter fraud made public over the last several months, will anyone bother to show up for Tuesday’s redo primary?
Last November, a state judge threw out the results of the Sept. 12 Democratic mayoral primary the Park City and ordered a new primary to take its place. At the issue of it all was leaked surveillance video that showed supporters of Mayor Joe Ganim including, city employee Wanda Geter, putting fistfuls of envelopes into an absentee ballot drop box.
Ganim, who defeated challenger John Gomes, said these supporters broke the law but denied any knowledge or involvement in the scheme.
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This led to a lawsuit by the Gomes campaign, demanding a new primary. The Nov. 7 general election went ahead as scheduled and Ganim once again prevailed over Gomes who ran as an independent.
But the judge’s order rendered that election moot as well, and now Ganim and Gomes will face off for the third time in four months.
On Monday, just hours before voters head to the polls again, both campaigns were still slinging mud fresh off a contentious WICC radio debate. The battle for Bridgeport’s corner office is also fresh with new allegations of voter fraud.
This time it’s the Ganim campaign which claims Gomes campaign operative Denise Solano, who according to absentee ballot logs, pulled hundreds of applications, violated election law by distributing those applications to campaign workers who weren’t authorized including former police Chief Rebecca Garcia.
“What the Gomes people did is on video too. Bad bad bad,” said Ganim. “Giving them out like candy to 22 individuals without any accountability.”
Gomes maintains his campaign did nothing wrong.
“I will not own up because we did not do any misconduct,” said Gomes, who claimed his campaign asked for permission and followed all the directions he received from the city clerk.
Gomes recently posted testimony of a Spanish-speaking voter on his Facebook page who claims Ganim operatives finished filling out his absentee ballot for him saying, “we are going to take them with us to place them in the mail.”
“The same perpetrators are going house to house intimidating and trying to take ballots,” Gomes claims.
Gomes also provided evidence showing a voter was issued an absentee ballot the same day she died. A completed ballot was mailed back to the clerk’s office eight days later.
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“There were challenges and irregularities on both sides. Tough to admit but there were,” said Ganim.
This is why the Office of the Secretary of the State is encouraging voters to cast a ballot in person.
“Some people had reported feeling intimidated or afraid,” remarked Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas.
The state hired two election monitors to oversee the voting process in Bridgeport and for the first time, has recruited 14 volunteer attorneys to serve as election day watchdogs at the polls.
“If you see something, say something,” said Thomas. “I hope having more boots on the ground will help us fetter out other issues that we are not aware of.”
Thomas told FOX61 her office will be asking the legislature to make changes to the law for the upcoming session, including shortening the time frame for which absentee ballots are distributed and enhancing the security of the drop boxes.
Meanwhile, the State Elections Enforcement Commission is devoting all of their manpower to investigate more than 20 complaints of fraud in Bridgeport. So far, no charges or arrests.
“Any election related case has to be investigated in a shorter period of time,” stated Thomas.
What happens after Tuesday’s primary remains to be seen, but Gomes told FOX61 the only way he will step aside from the race is if he loses the in person vote at the polls.
Ganim told FOX61 if he wins, he will ask the courts to get involved and declare him the mayor. Right now, a second general election is scheduled for February 27, unless all but one candidate withdraws their candidacy.
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