UPDATE: Following a story by OIB, the Office of the Connecticut Secretary of the State (SOTS) has referred to the state’s election watchdog allegations that campaign operatives for mayoral candidate John Gomes have distributed absentee ballot applications in violation of regulations set by election monitors overseeing the January 23 mayoral primary do over.
Election monitors hired by the state to supervise the primary made clear on day one of their assignment that anyone requesting five or more absentee ballot applications must sign them out at the Town Clerk’s Office and are solely responsible for dissemination to electors. That means they cannot share them with other operatives for distribution without proper protocol.
The matter is now in the hands of the State Election Enforcement Commission.
From SOTS:
If the Circulator on file with the Town Clerk’s Office asks another individual to help with distributing applications, the name of the additional MUST be registered with the Town Clerk’s Office PRIOR to any applications being distributed to voters
Among those circulating questionable applications is former top cop Rebeca Garcia. A photo posted on Gomes Facebook page shows Garcia possessing a stack of applications at a senior citizen event. The absentee ballot application log shows that Gomes supporter Denise Solano signed out a hefty 1,400 absentee ballot applications. Garcia had signed out for none.
OIB has confirmed with the Town Clerk’s Office that Solano issued a communication that she provided hundreds of her 1,400 absentee ballot applications to 22 different Gomes backers, including Garcia.
In a communication to Mayor Joe Ganim, SOTS Chief of Staff Gabe Rosenberg wrote “I have received your below email, and again reminded all campaigns that only the circulator of absentee ballot applications is authorized to distribute those applications under Title 9. As the State Election Enforcement Commission is the only entity in state government that can undertake an investigation of alleged malfeasance under Title 9, we have referred this matter to their attention for investigation.”
News release from SOTS:
Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas today announced her office has sent a formal complaint to the State Elections Enforcement Commission (SEEC) related to absentee ballot circulators in the new Bridgeport mayoral primary. Secretary Thomas also released additional updates on process improvements for that election, set to take place on January 23, 2024.
On Tuesday, January 16, the Office of the Secretary of the State (the Office) formally requested SEEC to perform an investigation of allegations of illegal absentee ballot (AB) application circulation. The complaint was prompted by a photo of an individual who appeared to be circulating AB applications to voters and was not registered with the Town Clerk’s office as a circulator. An election monitor brought it to the attention of the Office after being alerted by a member of the public. In addition to filing the complaint, the Office sent another notice to both campaigns about the requirements for absentee ballot application circulators.
“I greatly appreciate the willingness of others to be a part of the solution by saying something after seeing something,” said Secretary Thomas. “This demonstrates the importance and effectiveness of engaging the public as partners in building secure elections.”
Secretary Thomas and the Office previously issued educational videos and notices to the public on the absentee ballot process, as well as numerous in-person and email explanations to both mayoral campaigns and the public about the legal requirements to distribute absentee ballot applications.
To replicate the success experienced with real-time input, the Secretary and the Office have conducted outreach to recruit on-the-ground volunteer attorneys to assist the election monitors on the new primary day.
At least 14 volunteers are expected to be deployed to polling stations to serve as nonpartisan designees of the Office. They will help with recording first-hand accounts of any issues that arise and assisting with any resulting action that needs to be taken, including filing a SEEC complaint. While the Office has previously invited volunteer attorneys to serve in an on-call capacity, this is the first time the Office has put out the call for onsite Election Day volunteers.
There has been a concerted effort among the Office of the Secretary of the State, Bridgeport election monitors Tim De Carlo and Peggy Reeves, and the city’s Town Clerk and Registrars to continue to identify electoral issues and implement solutions. This week, De Carlo and Reeves made simple modifications on a form that makes it easier for voters to read and understand. Further, the election monitors noticed a high number of AB requests from certain locations in Bridgeport and were directed by Secretary Thomas to do spot checks to ensure the voters indeed requested absentee ballots.
Secretary Thomas also reminded Bridgeport voters to make a plan to vote in person if they are not eligible to vote by absentee ballot: “The polls will be open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, and like any election, voters should get ready to vote by checking their polling location in case it has changed and making their plan to vote.”
Members of the public who suspect or witness any voter intimidation, wrongdoing, or other voting irregularities on Election Day should call the SEEC Hotline at 866-SEEC-INFO (866-733-2463) or email elections@ct.gov. The hotline will be active from 6 a.m. – 8 p.m. on Election Day for the public to report any voter intimidation, wrongdoing, or other voting irregularities that they witness or suspect.
Members of the public who suspect any election malfeasance on days other than Election Day should report it directly to the Connecticut State Elections Enforcement Commission (SEEC) by calling 860-256-2940 or completing and delivering a complaint form linked here.
For information about the Bridgeport’s new Democratic mayoral primary, please see the full election calendar here: https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/SOTS/ElectionServices/Calendars/2024-Election/BPTspecialelectioncalendar_Dec-2023.pdf.
Ganim’s email to SOTS:
On Friday, December 29, 2023, you sent an important correspondence to candidates and their campaigns clarifying the rules regarding absentee balloting. Specifically, you raised a concern regarding the large number of absentee ballot applications that some individuals had checked out at the Bridgeport Town Clerk’s Office that day, and clarified that state statute requires that an individual circulating 5 or more absentee ballot applications be registered with the Town Clerk’s Office prior to circulation. Your email further states that campaigns should ensure compliance with this rule in order to “avoid invalidated applications.”
This weekend, a picture was circulated on social media by the Gomes for Mayor campaign and has since been covered by some press which shows active Gomes supporter and former Chief of Police Rebeca Garcia holding a clipboard full of absentee ballot applications for the Special Primary on January 23rd. However, she did not check out a single absentee ballot application. That has been confirmed by the absentee ballot application logs at the Bridgeport Town Clerk’s Office. This is a flagrant violation of state law and a direct contradiction to your December 29th email.
I am concerned that Denise Solano, a paid Gomes campaign operative, has checked over 1,400 absentee ballot applications for the Special Primary. It is humanly impossible for all of these applications to be for her. Thus, it is clear that she is handing out her applications to several other Gomes operatives, like Rebeca Garcia, in violation of the law.
Therefore, I am requesting your prompt attention to this matter and respectfully ask for a reply from your office as to how this clear violation of law will be addressed prior to next Tuesday’s election. I will await your prompt response and action to avoid any tainting of the Special Primary which is now only 7 days away.
Of course the Ganim campaign would never do anything like that, if you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you on Congress St.
I have some nice Volcanos (9) to sell in El Salvador. You and the 8 likes of your comment know how to reach me at OIB Realty.
“UPDATE: Following a story by OIB, the Office of the Connecticut Secretary of the State (SOTS) has referred to the state’s election watchdog allegations that campaign operatives for mayoral candidate John Gomes have distributed absentee ballot applications in violation of regulations set by election monitors…”
Boy, Lennie! We’ve become two dirt rats. Wear the badge with honor. To think that it was John Gomes himself who asked the Court and the State to monitor the primary and election. He asked for the tracking and monitoring of AB Applications and look what’s going to happen. One more time: “Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.”
Lennie, OIB is considered the the press. 🤣
Considering,
A. The yellow form Garcia is handling is and voter registry.
B. You are allowed to take 5 AB without signing them out.
C. It can’t be said that the stack of papers is AB. The top paper underneath the yellow form can’t be said to be even one of the 5 AB Garcia took out. 🙂
Must be a slow day at the press. 🙃
Port’s AB game is legit. Nothing to see here. SEEC.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKnX5wci404
I stand by my story. That’s a stack of applications. More to come. OIB has confirmed with the Town Clerk’s Office that Solano issued a communication that she provided hundreds of her 1,400 absentee ballot applications to 22 different Gomes backers.
If it doesn’t come in the next three days, well.
For the sake of arguments. Let’s say that Alleged communication exists.
Unless Boss. Lady is one of the 22 on the communication. A. This picture says nothing.
B. I would have to assume everyone on that list will say Solano is lying. ( though carefully consider, considering AJ/recording. ( To the 22 on the list. I don’t recall getting any AB for Solano. 🙂
C. More importantly regarding this freak show. Why? ABs are not Crack people? Get your shit/ABs. You playing politics yet you can stop by City Hall to avoid a felony, LOL 😂
Fuhgeddaboudit🤣
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXFpEFQ6lw0
It is official. The Town Clerks did it in the library, with a clipboard. 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpU_JngJ1EI
Garcia is on the list.
Listen, Dick head. Garcia is filling the voter registration card. She either register a new voter; it’s not know if this voter wanted to be registered as Republican or Independent. I bet she was registered as a Democrat; Garcia could have been changing the voters address which is unlikely.
Now what Garcia is doing or did was to first fill the voter registration card and then fill the AB Ballot Application. No way in hell that the voter allowed her to fill the voter registration card and not the AB application.
The question is if or when were the voter registration and AB application submitted to the Registrar, and the AB to the Town Clerk? Will investigators ask the right questions? Lennie, any idea of the identity of the voter? One of the biggest offenses or acts committed is witness/victim tampering and intimidation of persons involved in SEEC related matters.
Listen, Dick head. Garcia is filling the voter registration card. She either register a new voter; it’s not know if this voter wanted to be registered as Republican or Independent. I bet she was registered as a Democrat; Garcia could have been changing the voters address which is unlikely.
Now what Garcia is doing or did was to first fill the voter registration card and then fill the AB Ballot Application. No way in hell that the voter allowed her to fill the voter registration card and not the AB application.
The question is if or when were the voter registration and AB application submitted to the Registrar, and the AB to the Town Clerk? Will investigators ask the right questions? Lennie, any idea of the identity of the voter? One of the biggest offenses or acts committed is witness/victim tampering and intimidation of persons involved in SEEC related matters.
Remember my comment when Steven Auerbach passed away?
I commented that when Joe Ganim wins by 1000 AB votes from dead people on January 23, 2024. We’ll know who was behind it all. Those 1,200 ABs are going to be saved by the Registrars in a sealed body bag.
I hope Ganim doesn’t treat this matter as a mute point when he wins the January 23, primary.
Lennie, is the court still engaged with this primary ordered by the Judge. By ordering another primary, voters like me had vote again despite not having committed any election violation. I’d like to hear what the Judge thinks of this considering that it was Gomes himself who asked for the monitoring of AB applications and handling of Absentee Ballots.
It’s a greater advantage when one is challenged be amateurs.