[Watch Video] Ballot-stuffing scandal rocks Bridgeport: Judge orders new mayoral primary after shocking video evidence
A Connecticut judge has ordered a new Democratic mayoral primary in Bridgeport, the state's largest city, after seeing video evidence of possible ballot-stuffing by supporters of the incumbent mayor. The primary was a close race between Mayor Joe Ganim and challenger John Gomes, who filed a lawsuit alleging widespread fraud and irregularities in the handling of the absentee ballots. The judge said the video footage from the drop boxes showed "shocking" and "unprecedented" violations of the state's election laws, and ordered the parties and the city to meet within 10 days to discuss the date and logistics of the new primary. The new primary will be held after the general election, where the mayor and his challenger will face off again. The outcome of the general election will determine the next steps in the legal battle.
Judge orders new primary in Bridgeport after ballot-stuffing video
A Connecticut judge has ordered a new Democratic mayoral primary in Bridgeport, the state's largest city, after seeing video evidence of possible ballot-stuffing by supporters of the incumbent mayor.
Superior Court Judge William Clark issued his ruling on Wednesday, just days before the general election on Nov. 7, 2023. He said the surveillance footage from the city's absentee ballot drop boxes showed "shocking" and "unprecedented" violations of the state's election laws.
"The volume of ballots so mishandled is such that it calls the result of the primary election into serious doubt and leaves the court unable to determine the legitimate result of the primary," Clark wrote in his 36-page decision.
The primary, held on Sept. 12, 2023, was a close race between Mayor Joe Ganim, who won by 251 votes out of 8,173 cast, and challenger John Gomes, a former chief administrative officer in Ganim's administration. Ganim's margin of victory came from the absentee ballots, which he won by 1,000 votes.
Gomes filed a lawsuit against the city and its election officials, alleging widespread fraud and irregularities in the handling of the absentee ballots. He also obtained and released the video clips from the drop boxes, which appeared to show several people stuffing stacks of ballots into the boxes, sometimes late at night or early in the morning.
Connecticut law requires that voters drop off their own ballots, unless they are physically unable to do so and have a designated person to assist them. The law also limits the number of ballots that one person can handle to six.
Gomes said he was pleased with the judge's ruling, calling it "a victory for the people of Bridgeport."
"Our campaign always believed that the integrity of our democratic process must be upheld and Superior Court Judge William Clark agreed," Gomes said in a statement.
Ganim said he was surprised by the ruling and would wait to hear from his lawyers about whether to appeal. He also urged the residents to vote in the general election, where he is running as the endorsed Democratic candidate.
"Let's send a powerful message that we want to keep the progress going in Bridgeport," Ganim said in a statement.
The judge ordered the parties and the city to meet within 10 days to discuss the date and logistics of the new primary, and to report back to him by Nov. 17, 2023. He also ordered the city to preserve all the ballots and the video footage for further inspection.
The outcome of the general election will determine the next steps in the legal battle. If Gomes wins, he said he would withdraw his complaint and become the mayor. If Ganim wins, he would have to face Gomes again in the new primary. If Ganim wins the new primary, he would be reelected mayor and no further election would be necessary.
Conclusion:
The Bridgeport mayoral race has been thrown into chaos by a ballot-stuffing scandal that has led to a court-ordered new primary. The video footage from the absentee ballot drop boxes showed multiple people violating the state's election laws by stuffing stacks of ballots into the boxes. The judge said the violations were so severe that they cast doubt on the legitimacy of the primary result, which was won by the incumbent mayor by a narrow margin. The new primary will be held after the general election, where the mayor and his challenger will face off again. The outcome of the general election will determine the next steps in the legal battle.