Delnicki: Absentee Ballot Concerns Demand Investigation

With the primary election only days away, it’s being reported that Secretary of State Denise Merrill’s hand-picked mail vendor has NOT and will NOT fulfill their obligations to process and mail approximately 20,000 absentee ballots to qualified voters.

According to the Connecticut Town Clerks Association, as many as 20,000 absentee ballot requests were not processed on time last week by the vendor Merrill selected, and Merrill’s office admitted as much in conversations with local town officials. These missteps could result in many people being disenfranchised for the Aug. 11 state primaries.

In South Windsor nearly 150 voters – Democrat and Republican – have been impacted! In addition, I have personally met with South Windsor voters that have shown me various problems with the ballots and envelops, and I am very concerned by what I’ve seen. This breakdown threatens to undermine our ability to vote independently and without interference. We must make certain our laws, processes and procedures truly protect the integrity of all of our elections.

I have joined my colleagues to demand an immediate investigation into this flawed vote-by-mail process initiated solely by the Secretary of the State for the August primary, and without legislative input. The House Republican call for an investigation is below.

Your vote, and our state elections, are too important.