On November 1, a Connecticut state trial judge ruled that the results of the September 12, 2023 Democratic primary for Mayor of Bridgeport should be set aside, and a new primary held. Connecticut city elections are partisan. The incumbent Mayor, Joe Ganim, won the September primary by 251 votes, but the challenger, John Gomes, won the primary if absentee ballots are set aside.

Video cameras showed that some individuals dropped dozens of absentee ballots into the city’s drop boxes for absentee ballots. Yet state law doesn’t permit anyone except the voter to deposit an absentee ballot into a drop box, with certain exceptions. For example, a disabled voter can choose a family member to deposit the ballot. See this story. The case is Gomes v Clemons, Superior Court, Bridgeport, Fbt-cv-23-6127336-5.

The general election will proceed on November 7. The primary will be held afterwards, on a date not yet set. Presumably if Mayor Ganim is elected on November 7, and if the primary held afterwards is also won by Ganim, then he will be considered re-elected. If the general election is won by Ganim, but Ganim loses the Democratic primary held afterwards, then a new general election will need to be held. Thanks to Tim Smith for this news.