Connecticut lawmakers are taking their first steps toward tightening absentee ballot laws since video last year captured people stuffing reams of ballots into collection boxes in Bridgeport, the state's most populous city.
Politics FILE - Manuel Alcantara deposits absentee ballots for his son and daughter in a dropbox outside City Hall in Bridgeport, Conn., Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024. – State lawmakers took the first steps Friday toward tightening absentee ballot laws since video last year captured people stuffing reams of ballots into collection boxes in one city, creating a “black eye” for Connecticut and
“This episode was a black eye for the city, for the state, and for the vast, vast majority of election officials, candidates and campaign workers in this state who follow our laws with the utmost integrity and competence,” Democratic Rep. Matt Blumenthal said. “It did reveal to us some gaps in our current laws and measures that we can take to increase the security, transparency and overall integrity and public perception of integrity of our elections.
The bill would require cities and towns by July 1, 2025, to install a video camera for each absentee ballot drop box and make the footage available to the public. It also includes new measures for tracking where and when individual absentee ballots were collected and tighter procedures for obtaining an absentee ballot.
The bill additionally allows poll workers to apply to have their home addresses not subject to open records requests for 90 days before and after an election — a measure aimed at protecting them from possible harassment. Anyone who reveals the worker's address would face a misdemeanor charge under the legislation.
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