In an unprecedented turn of events, voters in Bridgeport, Connecticut, are gearing up for a court-ordered redo of the city's Democratic mayoral primary. The election, scheduled for January 23, 2022, will determine if incumbent Mayor Joe Ganim rightfully won his party's nomination or if his opponent, John Gomes, should be named the Democratic nominee for the upcoming general election in February.

The controversy began after Ganim emerged as the winner in the September Democratic primary, securing victory by a narrow margin of 251 votes. However, Gomes swiftly alleged election fraud, presenting surveillance video as evidence. The footage purportedly showed a Ganim supporter dropping stacks of absentee ballots into a drop box, a practice prohibited under Connecticut law.

In early November, a state judge reviewing the case expressed shock over the evidence of wrongdoing and deemed it sufficient to cast doubt on the primary results. Consequently, the judge ordered a new primary election, although he acknowledged that the general election, which took place shortly after, could not be halted. Mayor Ganim emerged victorious in the general election, but he now needs to secure a third victory in January to claim his eighth term.

While Ganim did not respond to requests for comment, he acknowledged the court's findings of voting irregularities connected to his campaign. He challenged his opponent to admit to unlawful ballot behavior by individuals associated with Gomes's campaign during the primary.

Meanwhile, Gomes, in an email to NBC News, stated that the city and Mayor Ganim failed to present any evidence of the alleged wrongdoing in court, despite having subpoenaed and interviewed supporters of his campaign.

This election redo in Bridgeport is not an isolated incident. Similar situations have occurred elsewhere. In November, Presque Isle, Wisconsin, held a court-ordered election do-over in a close nonpartisan town chair contest due to irregularities that resulted in a one-vote margin of victory. Additionally, in December, courts ruled in favor of a do-over in the sheriff's race in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, where the initial victory came down to a single vote.

The frequency of election redos has raised concerns among experts and advocates who worry that this extraordinary recourse may become more commonplace as candidates increasingly resort to litigation to challenge election results. The fear is that election do-overs, while serving as a safeguard against subversion, could be misused, leading to mistrust in the electoral process.

Hannah Fried, the executive director of All Voting Is Local, cautioned against the potential misuse of election redos and emphasized the financial burden they place on taxpayers. Moreover, the repetition of voting procedures risks disenfranchising voters who may struggle to find time to participate in multiple elections.

On the other hand, Adav Noti, senior vice president and legal director at the Campaign Legal Center, considers these do-over races to be an unusual yet integral part of a functioning democracy.

As the Bridgeport mayoral redo looms, all eyes will be on the subsequent election and the outcome's implications for the electoral process in Connecticut. Concerns persist about the potential abuse of the legal system and the impact on public trust in elections. Only time will tell if these occurrences are isolated incidents or an emerging trend in American politics.