About 5,000 absentee ballots have been requested for Bridgeport’s Jan. 23 court-ordered second Democratic primary between Mayor Joe Ganim and challenger John Gomes. The absentee ballots were officially made available last Friday.
The high number of requests is despite a finding by Bridgeport Superior Court Judge William Clark that Mayor Joe Ganim’s victory in September was marred by absentee ballot stuffing.
About 10,000 absentee ballots were requested for that election.
Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas said voters who suspect that campaigns might use their names for absentee ballot fraud should vote in person.
“Even if you have already submitted an absentee ballot. The law instructs the town clerk to throw out your absentee ballot and use your in-person vote instead,” Thomas said in a voter education video released by her office.
Judge Clark ordered that absentee ballots be available only three weeks before the Jan. 23 redo election, in an effort to reduce the opportunities for fraud.
In the September primary, absentee ballots were available months before the election.
