A new candidate who has just entered the mayoral race in Bridgeport could cause confusion at the ballot box November 5. The issue centers on whether marking the candidate's initials on a ballot to indicate a write-in vote will be enough. Incumbent Mayor Joe Ganim won the Democratic nomination over State Senator Marilyn Moore in last month's primary by just 270 votes.
But Moore wanted to stay in the race -- and decided to seek write-in votes.
A representative from Connecticut’s Secretary of the State’s office recently told people in Bridgeport that marking the letters “MM” in the write-in box would signify to tabulators a vote for Moore. That’s according to the blog Only In Bridgeport.
But that’s changed.
A Republican named Maryann McLaine is now trying to run as a write-in candidate -- with the same initials as Moore.
So now, the Secretary of the State’s office says that “MM” would not likely achieve the standard a write-in vote must reach to be counted – clear intent.
So people in Bridgeport who want to write in a candidate should be exceptionally clear about who is getting their vote.
