Two former Bridgeport, Connecticut, City Council candidates, one from 2021 and the other from 2023, were arraigned on Aug. 12 in connection with the alleged misuse of absentee ballots in the city’s 2023 Democratic mayoral primary, according to court documents obtained by The Epoch Times.
Chief State’s Attorney Patrick J. Griffin announced the criminal charges last week.
Maria Hernandez, 63, was arrested and charged with two counts of improper possession of ballots and envelopes, while Elsie Mercado, 54, was arrested and charged with three counts of misrepresenting eligibility requirements for voting by absentee ballot and five counts of improper possession of ballots and envelopes.
Neither Hernandez nor Mercado responded to requests for comment by publication time. Hernandez ran for the city council in 2023 as an Independent, and Mercado was a 2021 Democratic candidate for the city council….