The state election calendar, see here, is a key timeline for all political operatives to follow. Miss a deadline and it could mean blowing a ballot spot.
Example: July 18-25 is the window in which endorsements by a major party for municipal offices may take place. Bridgeport Democrats will meet July 25, the final day is typical of Democratic Town Chair Mario Testa’s timing machinations to limit opponents to essentially two weeks to secure petition signatures for ballot qualification. Mayor Joe Ganim should win handily the party endorsement by the 90-member town committee.
Then comes the footwork.
Petition forms for persons desiring to oppose party-endorsed candidates for municipal office must be available from the registrar of voters beginning on the day following the making of the party’s endorsement of candidates for municipal office or beginning on the day following the final day for the making of such endorsements, whichever comes first, according the the election calendar language.
Ganim’s announced opponents – John Gomes, Lamond Daniels and State Senator Marilyn Moore – will hit the streets to scour more than 2,000 verified signatures of Democratic electors to qualify for the September 12 primary, representing at least five percent of the party registration. The same goes for other citywide races for town clerk, city clerk, city sheriff and Board of Education.
District candidates such as for city council must meet the same five-percent threshold based on the registration.
Primary petitions for opposition candidates of a major party for municipal offices must be submitted to respective registrars by 4 p.m. August 9. Registrars of voters, deputy registrar or assistant registrar must be in their office or office facilities between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to accept petitions.
Absentee ballots become available August 22.
This is the first mayoral contest in which electors may cite an illness such as fear of receiving Covid to avoid a walk-in precinct vote, a practice introduced by state legislative action. AB action will certainly be aplenty.
