A judge recently ruled to overturn a mayoral election in Connecticut after evidence was brought forward of ballot mishandling.
Judge William Clark’s decision to order a new primary in Bridgeport, Connecticut, was prompted by compelling surveillance footage that depicted individuals tampering with and stuffing ballot boxes. In his ruling, Judge Clark expressed his dismay over the video evidence, stating, “The videos are shocking to the court and should be shocking to all the parties.”
The surveillance footage revealed that two women were involved in as many as 15 separate incidents of manipulating the ballots. One of these individuals was identified as Wanda Geter Pataky, Vice Chair of the Bridgeport Democratic Town Committee. During her appearance in court regarding these allegations and the incriminating video footage, Geter-Pataky invoked her Fifth Amendment rights and refused to answer questions.
The overwhelming volume of evidence presented left the court with no choice but to determine a legitimate outcome of the election could not be determined.
“The volume of ballots so mishandled is such that it calls the result of the primary election into serious doubt and leaves the court unable to determine the legitimate result of the primary,” Judge Clark explained in his ruling.
The allegations brought forward centered around the illegal practice of “ballot harvesting” in Connecticut. State law mandates that voters either submit their own ballots or designate a specific person to do so on their behalf. This requirement aims to ensure the integrity of the election process and protect against instances of mishandling or tampering with ballots.
While the judge has ordered a new primary for the mayoral election, a new voting date has yet to be set.
Join Turning Point USA at AmericaFest on December 16-19 for the biggest conservative event of the year!
