Bridgeport, CT – The absentee ballot scandal that shadowed Bridgeport’s 2023 mayoral primary has erupted into a full-blown criminal case.
Authorities have charged five individuals, including city officials, with multiple election-related offenses.
Alfredo Castillo, Wanda Geter-Pataky, Maria Pereira, Jazmarie Melendez, and Margaret Joyce face accusations of misrepresenting absentee voter eligibility and other violations.
The investigation, stretching more than a year, has intensified scrutiny on election security in Connecticut.
The charges validate long-standing suspicions among Bridgeport residents regarding election misconduct. Geter-Pataky, vice chair of the Bridgeport Democrats, and City Council members Castillo and Pereira are among the accused.
The allegations point to manipulated absentee ballots in the bitter primary contest between incumbent Mayor Joe Ganim and challenger John Gomes.
Ganim won the original primary, a court-ordered re-do, and the general election.
The case raises questions about whether absentee ballot practices affected the results.
Connecticut officials have responded with new legal measures tightening absentee voting regulations.
“My office, the state elections enforcement commission and the legislature have been laser-focused on Bridgeport,” said Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas (D).
A major reform now mandates surveillance cameras on ballot drop boxes. Lawmakers have also limited the timeframe for absentee ballot applications and their availability before each election.
“A number of technical changes were made that both limit the length of time an absentee ballot application can be used, and also the length of time in which they are available prior to each given election,” Thomas added.
Voters approved a constitutional amendment in November 2023, expanding absentee ballot options to include mailed ballots. The state legislature is currently debating related legislation.
Thomas has also proposed a bilingual election education campaign and continued election monitoring.
The five accused individuals have been released pending their court appearance on Thursday, March 6. The proceedings could establish new legal precedents for absentee ballot regulations in Connecticut.
