If you’re writing the political obituary of State Senate candidate Ricky DeJesus who faces mountain ranges of baggage including tax and child support issues, think again. The Democratic-endorsed candidate has a clear advantage heading into the final weeks of the February 24 special election, stacks of absentee ballot voters. About 800 absentee ballot applications were dumped on the Town Clerk’s Office on Wednesday, pressing staff into overdrive to mail out ballots to voters.
A majority of the AB applications come from the 23rd State Senate District where DeJesus enjoys the support of operatives who know how to work the system. DeJesus is on the ballot with Republican Quentin Dreher, Working Families Party Ed Gomes and petitioning candidates Ken Moales and Charles Hare.
Many political operatives are projecting a 10 percent turnout for the winter special election. If that materializes, maybe just over 3,000 votes will be cast in the district that includes about two thirds of the city and a piece of western Stratford. DeJesus could start the day with a lead of a few hundred votes. If he qualifies for public financing and his opponents don’t, he’ll have a major fundraising advantage. And what if there’s an election-day snowstorm? So DeJesus may be wounded, but he’s definitely not out of it.
Candidates are scrambling this week to piece together Friday deadline applications for public financing under the state Citizens Election Program of publicly funded races. DeJesus enjoys a major advantage as the endorsed candidate. His minor party opponents must generate roughly 1000 or so certified signatures of district registered voters just to qualify for a one-third public grant which would still provide him a major financial advantage if he qualifies for public financing. There’s a lot of moving parts that are playing out in this race that will determine the state senator to fill the vacancy of Andres Ayala, the commissioner of the state Department of Motor Vehicles.
The public financing system that was created as a level playing field actually advantages major parties in special elections.
So stay tuned.
This is confusing. In 2012 Bridgeport had 2,968 absentee ballots received at the clerk’s office, and this was Bridgeport-wide for the 4th Congressional district. I don’t see how one candidate could have received 800 ballots (and counting), and just for a primary? By sheer probability this is simply too much of an anomaly. The numbers don’t seem to add up. Very confusing.
Not confusing at all. Calling US Attorney Deirdre Daly–here is a layup for your task force on public corruption. Voter fraud run amok in Bridgeport. Go get ’em or her or whoever.
And when things are confusing or border on the absurd, people from outside the community don’t need to be “rocket scientists” to compare and contrast what is going on. Every returned application should be able to stand on its own when looked at by Monday-morning quarterbacks on this one. Will anyone be looking? What is our City track record relative to Hartford, New Haven, Waterbury, and such with the SEEC? Time will tell.
Lessee … For REAL change all the ABs are for CHARLIE HARE!
That would be different.
From the Secretary of the State:
Can I vote absentee? Connecticut has strict laws regarding who can vote absentee.
Are you an active member of the armed forces of the United States?
Will you be out of town during all the hours of voting on Election Day?
Does illness prevent you from voting in person on Election Day?
Do your religious beliefs prevent you from performing secular activities like voting on Election Day?
Will you be performing duties as an election official at a polling place other than your own during all the hours of voting on Election Day?
Do you have a physical disability that prevents you from voting in person on Election Day?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you are eligible to vote absentee.
Now just about every year these laws are violated and nothing seems to change.
So why don’t we just let everyone vote by mail (absentee ballot) and quit the current charade? For that matter, why don’t we hold all elections on weekends or at the very least declare election day a holiday?
The current system only rewards those candidates who have no compunction about violating the law. So let’s level the playing field and let all registered voters vote any damned way they please.
*** Mad rush for A/Bs to vote for tax delinquents, nepotism conflict of interest candidates or more deadbeats who are out of touch with reality and some just in it for themselves. This is what politics is like in good old Bpt. *** On another sad note, my condolences go out to the family and close friends of a wonderful lady I’ve had the pleasure of knowing for a long time and who has also been a long-time resident and business friend of the folks in the West End of Bpt. *** RIP Florence L. Valentino; you will be missed! ***
One of her proudest moments was hosting a ladies’ tea at her home for gubernatorial candidate Ella Grasso in 1975, who went on to win the election. Florence remained attuned to the political world, following every election on the state and national level, and dutifully casting her vote in this past November’s election. See more at:
www .legacy.com/obituaries/ctpost/obituary.aspx?n=florence-l-valentino&pid=174031373
God bless her soul, and I hope my offspring remember I had an interest in politics.