Ballot Shortages May Further Complicate the Results

YPM Update. Following a last-minute ruling by Superior Court Judge Michael Sheldon, the affected polls will stay open in Bridgeport until 10 p.m. When voting ends, thousands of ballots will, apparently, have to be hand-counted. 

Elections officials ran out of ballots today at numerous polling places in the Democratic linchpin city of Bridgeport, whose votes could be decisive to the re-election of U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-4th District, and the chances of the Democratic nominee for governor, Dan Malloy.

The registrars of voters dispatched police officers with hastily photocopied ballots, but some voters left without voting, one official said. Photocopied ballots can be used in an emergency, they must be counted by hand, meaning that Bridgeport tallies could be late tonight.

Rep. Christopher Caruso, D-Bridgeport, said he was at the Read School polling place in a Democratic district when officials ran out of ballots.

"We counted 47 voters that were turned away and just left," Caruso said."This is unbelievable and a travesty."

At a polling place in the Black Rock neighborhood, 200 voters were waiting in line for ballots, Caruso said. A Republican elections official suggested they go home until ballots arrived, he said.

Adam Wood, the chief of staff to Mayor Bill Finch, said Bridgeport was one of 10 municipalities that ran out or were running low on ballots.

"It's not confined to Bridgeport," he said.

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The Branford Eagle reports ballot shortages in that town as well.