A judge's order for a new primary in Connecticut’s largest city because of alleged absentee ballot fraud captured on surveillance video is fueling skepticism about the security of U.S. elections, as well as conspiracy theories involving the 2020 presidential election.
FILE - Judge William Clark presides over a hearing in Bridgeport Superior Court in Bridgeport, Conn., Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. Clark has taken the unusual step of ordering a new Democratic mayoral primary in Connecticut’s largest city to be held after the Nov. 7 general election is completed. The decision comes after surveillance videos showed a woman stuffing what appeared to be absentee ballots into an outdoor ballot box days before the original primary. FILE - Bridgeport, Conn.
On Wednesday, Connecticut Judge William Clark tossed out the results of the Sept. 12 primary and ordered that a new one be held, citing what he referred to as “shocking”Under Connecticut law, voters using a collection box must drop off their completed ballots themselves, or designate certain family members, police, local election officials or a caregiver to do it for them.
That kind of collection effort is banned in Connecticut, but it is allowed in some other states. Some states put limits on how many absentee ballots any one person can deposit, or mail in, for others. Some say the practice is OK, as long as the voter designates in writing who will be dropping off their ballot. A few have no limits at all on the practice.
Entrepreneur Elon Musk stoked concern Thursday about possible election fraud beyond Bridgeport on his social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. The Democrat who appeared to lose to Ganim in the mayoral primary, John Gomes, a former chief administrative officer for the city, will be on the ballot again in the general election as an unaffiliated candidate. On Thursday he urged people to go to the polls and vote for him in next week, saying his victory will make the primary issue moot.