After Bport Fraud Arrests, CT Sen. GOP Urge More CT Democrats to Join Push More Stiffer Penalties

Sen. Republican Leader Stephen Harding and Sen. Rob Sampson, Ranking Senator on the Government Administration and Elections Committee, issued the following statement regarding elected Democrats who have said they want to see stiffer punishments for individuals who are convicted of election fraud.

“Republicans welcome this conversation about stiffer penalties. We have been leading the discussion for years. Senate Republicans have repeatedly proposed a mandatory one-year prison sentence for those found guilty of absentee ballot fraud. All Senate Democrats voted against it.

What we saw in Bridgeport with the viral ballot stuffing videos, and now with the recent arrests of several individuals, demands action by the Democrat-controlled state legislature. What deterrent does our state currently have for those found guilty of election fraud? It’s a slap on the wrist. As one Democrat noted, unless criminals are punished for election fraud severely and appropriately, then why wouldn’t they do it again? We urge more Democrats to join Republicans in the effort to pass state election integrity laws that actually have teeth.”