Connecticut

2 Ex-Candidates Arraigned on Absentee Ballot Misuse Charges in Bridgeport, Connecticut

Former 2023 Independent city council candidate Maria I. Hernandez and former 2021 Democrat city council candidate Elsie Mercado were arrested and charged.
2 Ex-Candidates Arraigned on Absentee Ballot Misuse Charges in Bridgeport, Connecticut
A worker at the Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections processing absentee ballots at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Nov. 2, 2020. John Bazemore/AP Photo
Juliette Fairley
Juliette Fairley
Freelance reporter
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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.

Juliette Fairley
Juliette Fairley
Freelance reporter
Juliette Fairley is a freelance reporter for The Epoch Times and NTD and a graduate of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. Born in Chateauroux, France, and raised outside of Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, Juliette is a well-adjusted military brat. She has written for many publications across the country. Send Juliette story ideas at [email protected]