Stopping Absentee Ballot Abuse, Protecting Public Elections, and Independent Redistricting Commissions

STOPPING ABSENTEE BALLOT ABUSE

There is no other right more fundamental to a democracy than the right to vote. To come out to vote, people must believe that their vote will be fairly counted. As the recent arrests in Bridgeport show, this right is imperiled in our district. The General Assembly’s 2023 decision to appoint a state election monitor for the 2023 municipal elections and the 2024 state elections was a step in the right direction. However, the General Assembly must take more decisive action to protect the integrity of our election. Election monitors must be given real investigative and enforcement powers. They must be able to spot-check absentee ballots on a regular basis. Finally, illegal handling of absentee ballots must carry with it the threat of doing real jail time. As long as the majority of abuse results in a fine, the abuse will continue.

PROTECTING PUBLIC FINANCING

Connecticut’s Citizen’s Election Program has been held up as a model for clean elections and public financing. This system provides for public financing of elections to those candidates who raise a qualifying amount of donations and meet a threshold of donations from people in the local area. Candidates accepting the public financing then agree to strict spending rules. Despite the efficacy of this system, the General Assembly has adjusted the rules over the years to protect incumbents, and funding for enforcement of spending rules has not been sufficient. I will advocate for fully funding public financing programs and also adequately funding the operations of the State‘s Elections Enforcement Commission.

INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMISSIONS

Voters should choose their representatives; politicians should not choose their voters. While Connecticut has a bipartisan redistricting commission, and that commission takes public comment, the reality is that our current system allows very little meaningful oversight of the legislature, and therefore, the leadership of both parties use the redistricting process to increase the chances for   

incumbents to retain their sets. Seats with Democratic incumbents are generally made bluer, and seats with Republican incumbents are made redder. This reduces the number of competitive districts, which disincentivizes politicians from being responsive to voters, since they know that they will likely be elected anyway. It in turn reduces the faith of people in democracy and the electoral process, since they know that their vote will be less likely to have any impact on who represents them. Therefore, Connecticut should follow the model of Michigan and other states by creating an independent voter-led redistricting commission.