Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz certified the results of the 2010 midterm elections Wednesday morning including the results of the Governor’s race, which went to Democrat Dan Malloy by a plurality of 6,404 votes, making it the closest election for the position since 1954.
By the newest, most-official results, Malloy defeated Republican Tom Foley 49.5 percent to 48.9 percent.
Bysiewicz acknowledged that there may be lingering questions about the results due to issues in Bridgeport, where a dozen precincts ran out of ballots on Nov. 2. However, she said that her office learned that day that, while Bridgeport refused to take part in the state’s official election audit, it will be participating in a citywide recount conducted by the League of Women Voters and Connecticut Votes Count, along with the Connecticut Post.
But for official purposes, when Bysiewicz signed and certified the results it brought to an end what was probably the most controversial and chaotic election in the state’s recent history, with Bysiewicz herself at the center of some of the controversy.
Given the tumultuous nature of the Governor’s election, we at CTNewsJunkie thought a bit of reflection was in order, so what follows is a rough timeline of election night and the events that have unfolded since:
Tuesday, November 2.
– 5 p.m. – Bridgeport – After the Registrars of Voters order only 21,000 ballots for 69,000 registered voters, 12 of the city’s 25 polling districts begin running out of official ballots. Photocopied ballots are made and used as a substitute. Voters encounter long lines and chaos at the polls.
-7 p.m. –Hartford- Despite Republican attempts to block an extension, a Superior Court judge orders that the polls remain open for an additional two hours at the 12 precincts which ran out of ballots. Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch uses the reverse 911 system to notify voters.
-11:05 p.m. – Both sides remain optimistic. Fox News reports Tom Foley as the winner.
-Vote counting continues in Bridgeport through the night.
Wednesday, November 3.
-1 a.m. –Hartford/Greenwich- Malloy and Foley both express confidence they are the winner.
-11 a.m. –Hartford- Bysiewicz holds a press conference and “unofficially” announces Malloy as the winner by a margin of 3,103 votes. Tom Foley disputes her numbers.
-4 p.m. –Hartford- Malloy holds a press conference announcing his transition team and Chief of Staff Tim Bannon. Foley follows by sending an email announcing his own transition team.
– 6 p.m. –Bridgeport- The city continues counting ballots and misses the legal deadline to finish counting. According to Bysiewicz, there is currently no legal sanction for missing this deadline.
Thursday, November 4.
– 6:30 p.m. –Hartford- Bysiewicz issues a statement saying that the official tallies will not be released that day.
– 7 p.m. –Bridgeport- A bag containing 335 previously uncounted ballots is discovered. Tom Foley calls on the state police to investigate the origins of the bag and determine its chain of custody.
Friday, November 5.
-10:35 a.m. –Hartford- Tom Foley holds a press conference where he encourages the state to take its time and make sure the votes are counted accurately.
-6 p.m. –Hartford- Bysiewicz does not show up at a press conference where she was expected to announce Malloy’s victory, angering reporters.
Monday, November 8.
-2 p.m. –Hartford- Tom Foley concedes. GOP chair Chris Healy asks U.S. Attorney and state’s attorney to investigate voting in Bridgeport citing widespread “irregularities and improprieties.”
Monday, November 15.
-11 a.m. –Hartford- Bysiewicz announces that, in addition to the 74 randomly-selected voting precincts required by law, the 12 Bridgeport precincts that ran out of ballots will also be audited this year.
-5 p.m. –Hartford- The Secretary of the State’s office receives a call from Bridgeport’s attorney Mark Anastasi, who states that the city will not be participating in the audit.
