A completed ballot was supposed to record one woman’s choice in a local primary.
Instead, she says, an unexpected visit left her feeling pressured and questioning whether she wanted to vote again.
Former Connecticut state Senator Dennis Bradley was arrested after a Bridgeport voter accused him of interfering with her absentee ballot.
The alleged incident occurred ahead of the August 11 Democratic primary for probate judge.
Bradley’s brother, Mark Bradley, was challenging incumbent Paul Ganim for that position.
Voter Alesia Dennis said she had already filled out her absentee ballot when the former senator came to her apartment.
She accused him of opening it and instructing her to change her vote from Ganim to his brother.
“I felt intimidated,” Dennis told NBC Connecticut in describing the encounter.
She said she followed Bradley’s directions because of that feeling, according to the interview.
Connecticut Chief State’s Attorney Patrick Griffin announced Bradley’s arrest Tuesday in connection with the ballot investigation.
Bradley faces four charges involving absentee ballots and their handling.
Two counts concern alleged illegal possession of absentee ballots and envelopes.
Another alleges he was present while an applicant executed an absentee ballot.
The fourth involves the alleged unlawful opening of a ballot.
Former CT senator charged over alleged Bridgeport absentee ballot violations https://t.co/19O7FjV51v
— cat mom 4 Trump (@deborah_coman) October 7, 2026
The arrest warrant for former State Sen. Dennis Bradley detailed a second alleged instance of the Bridgeport Democrat illegally taking possession of an absentee ballot, while revealing initial forensic examination of another ballot returned inconclusive results.
https://t.co/kIsCiuOc8c
— WTNH News 8 (@WTNH) October 8, 2026
Bradley’s attorney, Darnell Crosland, says the former senator maintains his innocence.
Bradley was released on a promise to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court on October 21.
That court date gives him an opportunity to respond to the allegations through the legal process.
Dennis, meanwhile, said she handed the absentee ballot to police after the encounter.
She later voted in person at the registrar of voters’ office.
“I shouldn’t have to go through that twice,” she said, describing the burden of casting another ballot.
The allegation raises a basic election integrity concern: a voter must be free to make her own choice.
That protection applies regardless of which candidate the voter supports or which party holds the primary.
Dennis’s reported experience also illustrates how alleged interference can reach beyond the ballot itself.
She said the ordeal initially made her consider giving up voting altogether.
“I wasn’t going to vote no more,” Dennis said after Bradley’s arrest.
She later said she still trusted Bridgeport’s election system and intended to keep voting.
That distinction matters because her complaint concerns an individual’s alleged actions, not a finding against election officials.
Dennis contacted Bridgeport police on August 5, according to the account of the investigation.
She filed a complaint with the State Elections Enforcement Commission the following day.
The commission referred the matter to the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney for further investigation.
Prosecutors then brought the charges announced this week.
The public now has two separate issues to follow: what happened in the apartment and how authorities handle the evidence.
A criminal charge does not establish that every part of a complainant’s account has been proven.
It does require the accused to answer the specific allegations in court.
Connecticut Republican lawmakers Stephen Harding and Rob Sampson criticized the case in a joint statement.
They called the accusations an embarrassment for Bridgeport.
Their response reflects the political stakes, but the prosecution must still stand on evidence rather than party affiliation.
Bradley represented Bridgeport in the Connecticut Senate from 2019 through 2023.
He also has a separate federal conviction tied to his 2018 state Senate campaign.
Bradley was convicted in March of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and five wire-fraud counts.
That earlier case concerned Connecticut’s public campaign financing program, WTNH reported.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
