Connecticut’s Early Voting Faces Scrutiny amid Low Turnout

Voting Station

Connecticut Republicans are calling for changes to the early voting law after the state’s top election official suggested that the weeklong voting period should be shortened amid lackluster turnout. 

“For many months, Connecticut Republicans raised repeated concerns over the burden that many days of early voting would place on town budgets statewide,” Senate Republican Leader Stephen Harding, R-Brookfield, and other GOP lawmakers said in a statement calling for reforms to the system. “Simply put, it’s a waste of taxpayer money which puts unnecessary heavy burdens on our hard-working local election officials.”

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Connecticut Elections Chief Calls for Reforms After Ballot Stuffing Scandal

Stephanie Thomas

Connecticut’s top election official is calling for reforms in the wake of a ballot stuffing scandal in Bridgeport’s mayoral race, where some people were allegedly paid cash to fill out mail ballots.

Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas said her office had referred allegations about election “malfeasance” in the February redo of the mayoral race to the State Elections Enforcement Commission to investigate, including reports from voters who received absentee ballots despite not requesting them.  

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