The allegations have drawn renewed attention because they involve the handling of a ballot that the voter says she had already filled out. Prosecutors charged Bradley with two counts of illegal possession of absentee ballots and envelopes, one count of being present when an absentee-ballot applicant executes a ballot, and another charge under Connecticut’s absentee-ballot law.
The voter, identified in local reports as Alesia Dennis, described the encounter as intimidating.
“I felt intimidated. So I just went along with everything he said for me to do,” Dennis told NBC Connecticut.
Dennis said she ultimately turned the absentee ballot over to police and later cast another ballot in person at the registrar of voters’ office.
“I shouldn’t have to go through that twice. I mean, literally, I cast my vote,” she said.
The incident was reportedly captured on an indoor security camera. News 12 reported that the footage shows Dennis handing Bradley what appeared to be her absentee ballot before Bradley allegedly responded, “No problem, we can fix it.”
Dennis has also said that she was instructed to conceal what happened. According to News 12, she claimed Bradley told her to say she had made the change herself if anyone questioned her about the ballot.
Bradley’s attorney, Darnell Crosland, has pushed back against the allegations and maintains that the available video does not provide the complete context of the encounter.
“They’re not showing us the entire video yet…all we’ve seen is what the media has spliced together for its stories,” Crosland said. “Once we get discovery, we’ll have the entire video, and I think the story will be clearer then.”
Crosland has also argued that the circumstances surrounding the ballot need to be examined more closely before conclusions are reached. Bradley maintains his innocence.
Bradley was released on a promise to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court on Oct. 21. The Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice emphasized that the charges are allegations and that Bradley remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
For Dennis, however, the episode has already had a personal impact. She told NBC Connecticut that the experience caused her to question whether she wanted to participate in elections at all.
“I wasn’t going to vote no more,” Dennis said. “I mean, that’s how bad it got me to that point.”
Despite that experience, Dennis said she still has confidence in Bridgeport’s election system and plans to continue voting.
The controversy comes at a particularly difficult time for Bradley, who is also awaiting sentencing after being convicted earlier this year in a separate federal case involving his 2018 state Senate campaign.
A federal jury found Bradley guilty in March of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and five counts of wire fraud. Federal prosecutors said the case involved an effort to obtain public campaign financing by making false representations concerning his campaign’s compliance with Connecticut election-financing requirements.
That conviction is separate from the new state charges involving the 2026 Bridgeport primary. Bradley has remained free on a $300,000 bond while awaiting sentencing in the federal matter.
Republican Connecticut Senate leaders Stephen Harding and Rob Sampson responded sharply to the new allegations.
“Got fraud? Bridgeport has plenty of it. What an absolute embarrassment.”
The latest case now places the handling of absentee ballots under another round of scrutiny in Bridgeport, with prosecutors, the defense and the courts set to examine what happened inside the voter’s apartment and what the available video evidence ultimately shows.
For now, the criminal allegations remain unresolved. Bradley’s next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 21, where the case will move forward as prosecutors pursue the four charges stemming from the August Democratic primary.
