by Donald Eng
HARTFORD, CT — There will be an election in Connecticut on Nov. 3, Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas said Tuesday morning during a press conference at the State Office Building in Hartford.
Thomas, who called the event after the news network CNN aired a story about a planned DHS voter fraud investigation surge, said the news coverage of federal election interference could have a chilling effect on voter participation.
“In this report, Connecticut was one of the nine states where federal investigators are expected to pursue leads, conduct interviews and potentially refer cases for prosecution between now and mid-October,” Thomas said. “It was reported that this investigation will focus on the voter histories of people believed to be non citizens who may have registered or voted illegally.”
Thomas said it was unknown if the report was true, and if it was, why Connecticut was selected and who or what would come under investigation.
“Our office has not been contacted by the Department of Homeland Security about any intent to investigate here and as of this morning we have not been notified by any registrars or town clerks of any activities in their towns or any effort to make contact.”
Thomas said investigating potential violations of election law was not unusual.
“If there is evidence that someone knowingly voted illegally, it should be investigated,” she said. “If the facts establish misconduct, there should be accountability.”