The office of Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas said it has referred some matters to the State Elections Enforcement Commission after the Bridgeport mayoral general election redo in February.
Some of the referrals are related to reports from voters who received absentee ballots despite not requesting them.
Another comes after a voter reported that someone arrived at his home to help him with his ballot, had him sign unknown paperwork and took his ballot.
There was also a report of a campaign offering cash in return for completed absentee ballots, according to the Secretary of the State’s Office.
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They also said suspicious activity at drop boxes was discovered during review of footage from surveillance cameras.
“When alerted, the Secretary of the State’s Office is required to send allegations of election malfeasance to SEEC for their review and decision to investigate if any laws were broken,” Thomas said in a statement. “Referrals are not proof of wrongdoing, but an important step to ensure that our elections are secure.”
“Our office is committed to doing what we can to ensure that not just Bridgeport's citizens trust the elections process, but all of Connecticut does. Two bills have been introduced in the General Assembly, which include our proposals to close loopholes observed by our election monitors,” Thomas said.
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One bill, HB 5498, would require surveillance of absentee ballot drop boxes and the retention of the footage as well as modifications for how absentee ballot data is recorded and reported. It would also limit who may apply for replacement absentee ballots and reduce the window of availability of absentee ballot applications, according to the Secretary of the State’s Office.
Thomas has also recommended forming a board to view and mitigate election administration issues that currently fall within the gap between the jurisdiction of the Office of the Secretary of the State and SEEC.
