Fasano Seeks Attorney General Investigation into Primary Absentee Ballot Delays & Issues
August 12, 2020Today, Senate Republican Leader Len Fasano (R-North Haven) wrote to Attorney General William Tong requesting that he investigate the issues that have been raised by town clerks and voters regarding the absentee ballot system managed by a third-party mail house for yesterday’s primary election. Senator Fasano emphasized the importance of investigating these issues not only in the context of potential voter disenfranchisement in the primary election, but to prevent the same issues from threatening people’s right to vote in the November general election. The Secretary of the State has said she intends to continue using a third-party mail house to process absentee ballot applications and send ballots in the general election, despite the delays and issues seen over the last few weeks.
“No one should have to risk their health to vote. And no one’s vote should be at risk because they chose to vote absentee,” Fasano wrote to Tong.
“Multiple issues have been raised by Connecticut’s town clerks questioning the actions of the third-party mail house hired by the Secretary of the State to manage a new expanded absentee ballot system including mass mailings of applications and ballots. These concerns include whether the third-party mail house complied with state statutes and executive order governing the distribution of applications and absentee ballots such as whether timelines for mailings were met, whether the proper labeling and security features were followed, and whether clerks received appropriate notice of who in their towns were receiving which applications.”
“Specifically, I ask that you conduct an independent investigation to determine if the contract between the Secretary of the State and the third-party mail house adhered to the statutorily required time frame guiding the state’s election and absentee ballot laws,” Fasano wrote to Tong. “I ask that your office investigate these and any other issues related to absentee balloting to ensure the state is best protecting our residents’ right to vote.”
Sen. Fasano has also raised concerns about whether ballots placed in the mail on election day will be counted, as the post office does not typically postmark pre-stamped bulk mail envelopes which ballots are placed in. This leaves towns with the inability to count certain ballots that arrive today and tomorrow but that lack a postmark.