Thomas Works To Restore Election Trust

For anyone who claims there isn't some voter fraud or ballot harvesting, Bpt. is a clear case in point to the contrary. The now widespread preponderance of absentee ballots and the relatively lax way these ballots can be handled and monitored have created opportunities for those who would exploit these weaknesses. I have no idea how large or small this problem really is. What I do know is that it wrecked the most recent Democrats' mayoral primary and possibly the Democrats' mayoral election in Bpt. All presided over and ruled on by New Haven's own Will Clark.

CT should send a message and make an example of those willing to commit election fraud.

The entire voting system in the United States needs to be modernized so we can ensure 1) only those eligible to vote can vote (we can do that through cryptography), 2) have mandatory sentencing for those found guilty of election fraud, i.e., serious prison tile will be a significant future deterrent and 3) those that actually need help during an election cycle are serviced correctly but NEVER by an organization associated or affiliated with a political campaign or party.

The mechanics of voting should be the responsibility of the voter, and friends and family can help them if they need it - just like going to a church, store, bank, doctor, paying bills, and so on. It seems to me that the "grey areas" exist once all these affiliated "get out the vote" parties try to "help" when it is very easy to manipulate the system and seemingly without severe consequences.

The fact that Joe Ganim is sitting in the mayor's chair in Bridgeport is all the proof we need that the electoral system is completely corrupt and unlikely to be fixed anytime soon.
Watching the manipulation of the national electoral process is further proof.
People have lost faith and this is more damaging to our republic and our ability to move forward. Why be honest? Why not cheat? In Bridgeport, in CT, elsewhere--- it pays to cheat.

Stephanie Thomas is a politician, not an elections expert. She has an interest in the status quo not problem solving that might shake things up and really lock down elections and the potential for fraud. Her response is lame at best and she postulates Bridgeport is an outlier and not the norm. Thomas has zero data to support this predicate. Four years ago, I called New Haven's Registrar's Office to inquire how absentee ballots are handled and verified. I was told then, and nothing has changed - that it's the honor system. The honor system? Do you verify signatures? No. Could somebody harvest ballots and just turn them in or mail them? Yes, but it's not legal. What stops them? Nothing. Would you know if there are fraudulent votes? No. Unless somebody calls up and targets a specific ballot. One by one? Yes.

This is absurd. If Thomas wanted to provide assurance, real - not lip service assurance, she'd require all absentee ballot boxes to be video monitored and controlled - require not just the signature but a phone number and Connecticut ID number via driver's license or other government ID to be attached to every absentee ballot.

Elvin Tapper, Bridgeport is likely not the only corrupted city in the country. (I am from Chicago, and grew up in the era of Richard J. Daley.) But no one has provided evidence that such corruption is common or limited to one party. There are 169 towns/cities in Connecticut. No one, to my knowledge, has presented evidence of systematic voter fraud in the last elections anywhere but Bridgeport.

CY2, your statement is nonsensical. There likely was fraud in Bridgeport and those involved should be prosecuted. You have not provided one scintilla of evidence of fraud elsewhere in Connecticut.

Justin Higgins, voter fraud happens but is extraordinarily rare. The Heritage Foundation, a conservative legal organization, has identified 1,500 cases of proven voter fraud nationally. There are about 161 million registered voters in the U.S. The odds of someone committing voter fraud are comparable to their being hit by lightening over the course of their lifetime.

About 30% of New Haven households dont have cars, and polling places are often not within walking distance. Both political parties have offered rides to the polling places since I first voted, more than 50 years ago. (I was a precinct captain in my youth.) There is nothing wrong with any party offering such assistance.

What an absolute puff piece. Yeah I guess the leadership in Bridgeport had been listening to conspiracy and right wing insurrectionists and said to themselves "Wow what a great idea! Let's go with it." Have they found and convicted the person who released the tape of Wanda's late night trip to the voting box? When this story broke Connecticut's Ruling Party seemed to be more interested in arresting that person rather then looking into election fraud.

ElvnTapper, I cited Heritage because (1) smart people work there and (2) they have absolutely no incentive to low-ball their numbers. Actual cases of voter fraud undoubtedly exceed convictions, that is the case for all crimes. But if the ratio were 100:1, that would mean that 0.09% of voters engage in voter fraud. And inebriation has never been a bar to voting. If you are familiar with 18th and 19th century history, you know it was more of a precondition of voting.

Seriously, voting fraud is a crime. People found guilty of it should be punished, regardless of party. But exhaustive reviews, conducted by Republicans, in Arizona, Georgia, and other states found minimal voter fraud.

I, too, worked on the McGovern campaign. While I was saddened by the national result, I was pleased that the very Republican precinct I worked supported him.