In Absentia

3: The Ballot Box in the Room

By Kate Seltzer,

Jim Haddadin, Meg Dalton, Cassandra Basler, Bria Lloyd

Published May 6, 2024 at 8:05 PM EDT

A Bridgeport ballot box is lit up by street lights from its position on Boston Ave. on Election Day November 07, 2023. — A Bridgeport ballot box is lit up by street lights from its position on Boston Avenue on Election Day Nov. 7, 2023.

Mayor Joe Ganim keeps winning elections with the support of Bridgeport’s Democratic political machine. Machine politics has a rich and controversial history in the United States. Today, critics say it’s thriving in Bridgeport — and that it’s holding the city back.

In Absentia

Kate Seltzer

Kate Seltzer was the Roy Howard Investigative Reporting Fellow as part of The Accountability Project at Connecticut Public, the newsroom’s investigative reporting initiative.

See stories by Kate Seltzer

Jim Haddadin

Jim Haddadin is an editor for The Accountability Project, Connecticut Public's investigative reporting team. He was previously an investigative producer at NBC Boston, and wrote for newspapers in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

See stories by Jim Haddadin

Meg Dalton

Meg Dalton is the director of audio storytelling and talk shows for Connecticut Public where she oversees the station’s talk shows and podcasts, including the limited series 'In Absentia'.

See stories by Meg Dalton

Cassandra Basler

Cassandra Basler oversees Connecticut Public’s flagship daily news programs, Morning Edition and All Things Considered. She’s also an editor of the station’s limited series podcast, 'In Absentia' and producer of the five-part podcast Unforgotten: Connecticut’s Hidden History of Slavery.

See stories by Cassandra Basler

Bria Lloyd

Bria Lloyd was an investigative reporter for The Accountability Project at Connecticut Public, the newsroom’s investigative reporting initiative.

See stories by Bria Lloyd