Face the Facts: Safeguarding elections in Conn. after election-related arrests in Bridgeport

Senate Minority Leader Stephen Harding (R- Brookfield) reacts to four election-related arrests in Bridgeport. Republicans have long voiced concerns about the security of our state’s absentee ballot system. He talks about changed his party would like to see moving forward.

Mike Hydeck: Four campaign operatives were arrested in Bridgeport this week, charged in connection with absentee ballot fraud related to the 2019 mayor's race between Joe Ganim and then Senator Marilyn Moore. Then, of course, absentee ballots were at the center of the most recent mayor's race in Bridgeport, where a judge ordered a do over of the Primary and General Election between Joe Ganim and John Gomes. State Republicans have been calling for election reform for years now, and are we moving in that direction? Joining me now is Republican leader in the Senate, Senator Steve Harding, good to see you. We appreciate your time. Senate Bill 441 called for a municipal accountability board. First of all, what is that? And do you see the hope of that happening?

Stephen Harding: Well, I don't think the bill went nearly far enough. And frankly, that's the issue. I mean, there was really very minimal safeguards that were put in place as it relates to the absentee ballot system. The genesis, really, of it was what happened in Bridgeport, and frankly, their answer to it was this board. Speeding up the timelines as it relates to investigations, that's one aspect that myself and Senate Republicans agree with. But the part that was left out was really, what's going to safeguard this from happening again? They're mandating that there's going to be a camera in front of these drop boxes. But frankly, there was a camera in front of the drop box in Bridgeport, and look what happened.

Mike Hydeck: Right. We found out afterwards.

Stephen Harding: Absolutely. So Senate Republicans proposed a lot of measures towards the end of session that would have actually safeguarded our election system, particularly as it relates to absentee ballots. All of them were similarly shot down by Senate Democrats. It's upsetting.

Mike Hydeck: So I've heard you comment in recent week. You say, 'Look, we have some things in our version of this bill that would stop it before it happens.' What would that be?

Stephen Harding: Well, one is photo identification as it relates to absentee ballot applications. And for those that can't afford it, they would be given an opportunity to have it paid by the State of Connecticut. So a copy of a photo ID with absentee ballot applications, that's one step. Second would be mandating that the Secretary of State Audit the voter rolls. If we remember, back in 2020, they were sending out absentee ballot applications to people that had passed away, people that had moved out of the state many years ago. So it would require, on an annual basis, for those voter rolls to be audited to ensure that everyone receiving a potential absentee ballot is registered to vote and a real legal voter. So those are all measures that would be common sense measures which would safeguard this we would think, before anything happened. Unfortunately, they were all shot down.

Mike Hydeck: One of the other things that was on the table and was discussed by both sides is is sentencing. If you got caught and convicted of something like that. Where is it now and where would you like to see it?

Stephen Harding: Well, so our proposal had a mandatory, one year mandatory minimum for a jail sentence for those that were convicted of voter fraud. That's where it should be. We should be sending a message to those in the State of Connecticut that if you're going to commit voter fraud, you're going to go to jail. What we've seen in previous cases is that these individuals were simply just given fines, and that was it.

Mike Hydeck: In Connecticut history, there's the guy in Stamford who ended up spending time in jail. That's few and far between.

Stephen Harding: Most of the times, it's usually just a slap on the wrist and a fine. There have been instances where there's jail time served, but if you put in the mandatory minimum, you set a record from the beginning that if you do commit this and are convicted, you're going to jail.

Mike Hydeck: So the Democrats say, 'Look, they agree. They do. You know, Senator Blumenthal is one who says, Look, we need to make things and we need it has to be expedient.' Are you feeling any kind of give and take with the Democrats on this? Are you at least taking incremental steps in your assessment?

Stephen Harding: I would like to think that there would be incremental steps. But I mean, all these proposals were proposed, and Democrats were given an opportunity to vote on them on the last night of session as it relates to vote election reform, and every single one of them summarily was shot down. All of these proposals. So I am hard pressed to believe that they're willing to take on these common sense measures. I do question as to why. I would hope that, in light of what occurred this week that there would be more of a sense and more of an urgency to do something about this. But I am not particularly hopeful with the Democrats.

Mike Hydeck: Now moving forward. This week, the governor was critical of the Elections Enforcement Commission, saying, why did it take so many years to get this 2019 case brought before the state and have it litigated? Should something like that be talked about where there's, he says, I think he wants a 90 day window to have something done. Do you agree with that?

Stephen Harding: And that already passed. That was part of, that was part of the election reform bill that passed. And I, we do agree with that. The one thing that I would say is I do question, based upon it took how many years for this 2019 case to finally come to prosecution, whether or not that 90 day rule is going to almost prohibit, in some cases, the SEEC from completing the investigation in time, in compliance with the law. So I do question why it took so long. I also question if what happened this past summer in 2023 did not occur, if these arrests would have also occurred.

Mike Hydeck: So do you think the cameras were key to that though? Because, look, you can talk about Bridgeport for decades. It's almost like, round up the usual suspects. Absentee ballots continues to happen in Bridgeport over and over again. The difference this time around was the cameras. So I know you're thinking it's after the fact sort of thing, but do you think the video evidence made a big difference?

Stephen Harding: I think it was more luck, frankly, more than anything else, because, this particular bill that passed, as it relates to the camera, has no protocols on who's going to see the video footage, hold the video footage, review it. And in the case in Bridgeport, it was, I believe it was a campaign worker from the other campaign happened to see this or hear about this. So it wasn't in the course of, you know, review of these cameras that had occurred. It was just by happenstance.

Mike Hydeck: So you think there needs to be specific guidelines?

Stephen Harding: There needs to be specific guidelines as it relates to the cameras, correct.

Mike Hydeck: Senator Stephen Harding, got to leave it there. We appreciate your time.