BRIDGEPORT — As the polls closed in Connecticut’s largest city Tuesday and a long-night of vote-counting began, the man charged with making sure it all went smoothly — Max Medina — said that it did.
“I’d say it’s a very successful day and a day Bridgeporters can be proud,” Medina, the state-appointed elections monitor, reported by phone from the downtown government center after 8 p.m., where the registrars of voters and their staff would likely be tabulating ballots well into Wednesday. During earlier interviews Medina had noted the occasional voting machine “glitch” and “usual hiccups” but nothing out of the ordinary or alarming.
Democrat-dominated Bridgeport is one of several urban areas that party relies heavily upon in statewide and federal races. And only minutes after the polls closed at 8 p.m., the Associated Press reported Democrat Joe Biden won Connecticut’s seven electoral votes, defeating President Donald Trump in a result that was an assumed conclusion. And veteran U.S. Reps. Jim Himes, whose Fourth District includes Bridgeport, along with colleague John Larson, D-1, claimed early evening victories, while Rep. Joe Courtney, Rosa DeLauro and first term Congresswoman Johana Hayes held leads by later Tuesday night.
Even though thousands of city residents took advantage of the coronavirus-related relaxed absentee voting rules — Medina said around 13,000 mail-in ballots were returned and more arriving — many still headed to the polls in person Tuesday.
The longest lines with some waits of at least an hour if not more occurred in the morning, Medina said.
“We had a huge rush,” he said.
And for the most part, he reported, people were very patient. He also credited Bridgeport’s elections personnel for their hard work and for keeping things moving.
Arlene Harris, who was campaigning for state Sen. Marilyn Moore, D-22, outside of the Bridgeport Regional Aquaculture School, said she arrived at her polling place — Blackham School — just before 7 a.m. and was there for about an hour-and-a-half.
Harris had not wanted to vote absentee because she likes bringing her two teenage children with her, particularly her 17-year-old son.: “Next year he’ll be able to vote. So I thought it was super important (he accompany her).”
Across town at Harding High School, the wheels on Elias Sanchez’s walker scraped along the pavement as he and his wife, Lucy, slowly walked from their polling site at Harding High School to the parking lot.
Elias Sanchez would have been eligible to vote absentee during normal times. But the couple — who said they are no fans of Republican President Donald Trump — wanted to do it in person just to ensure their ballots were counted.
“I didn’t want to take a chance,” Lucy Sanchez said.
Others at Harding expressed similar sentiments.
“I wanted to make sure my vote is counted,” Bernadette Davis said.
“I don’t trust the absentee ballots, I can tell you that right now,” said the Rev. Valerie Carr, adding: “If you can stand in line in (stores like) Walmart and Home Depot during the pandemic, you can stand in line to vote.”
Mendina’s temporary position was created during a special session by the legislature in early October in part because of Bridgeport’s reputation for mail-in voting controversies, including during last year’s mayoral race. But the city has also had problems at the polls, like in 2010 when officials ran out of ballots.
He has described himself as the Secretary of the State’s “eyes and ears” in the city, but not a micro-manager with any authority to overturn local decisions.
So Medina spent the past several days meeting with the registrars, who set up the polls and count votes, and the Town Clerk’s Office, which was in charge of processing absentee ballot requests and completed ballots, to ensure they were prepared. Bridgeport also received additional funds from the state and a $350,000 grant from the Center for Tech and Civil Life.
Medina could not say how many people voted in-person Tuesday. But he did note that there were at least 700 new voters registered.
Those same-day registrations continued until 8 p.m. at the downtown government center, where Brianna White, 26, joined a relatively short and quick-moving line around 7:30 p.m.
White said it was important she participate Tuesday, particularly in the presidential race.
“America — it’s just because (of) America,” White said. “It’s a different state, between corona and Trump-mess. It’s time for a big change.”
