A Connecticut judge has dismissed the results of a Democratic mayoral primary election in the state's largest city and ordered a new election be held after video surveillance captured people placing multiple absentee ballots into outdoor collection boxes.
The Wednesday ruling by Superior Court Judge William Clark came just six days before the general election, creating a perplexing scenario in which voters will decide the outcome of Bridgeport’s mayoral election on Nov. 7, then be asked to return to the polls at a later, undetermined date to choose the rightful Democratic nominee in that very same race.
In his ruling, Clark noted that he lacked the authority to postpone or cancel the general election. However, he said he had seen enough evidence of malfeasance to order a rerun of the Sept. 12 Democratic primary election in which incumbent Mayor Joe Ganim defeated challenger John Gomes by 251 votes out of 8,173 cast.
