DERBY – A Republican candidate for town clerk issued a statement Wednesday (Oct. 29) saying people in the position should not be administering elections while running for re-election.
“While it may be legal under Connecticut law, it’s simply not right,” the candidate, Gino DiGiovanni, Jr., said in a statement released to the Derby GOP Facebook page. “No candidate should be involved in administering the very election in which they are seeking votes. It undermines public trust and opens the door to questions about fairness.”
DiGiovanni said the current arrangement raises ethical questions. He wants clear policies separating campaigning from day-to-day duties during election season.
DiGiovanni is trying to unseat Derby Town/City Clerk Marc Garofalo, a former mayor who has been town clerk since 2013. He is trying for a fourth term. Garofalo is a Democrat. DiGiovanni is a Republican who previously served as Second Ward Alderman.
Garofalo said DiGiovanni’s statement shows he doesn’t understand the duties of the position nor the safeguards in place under state law.
Garofalo said DiGiovanni’s press release seeks to undermine the public’s confidence in the integrity of the local voting system, and noted DiGiovanni was present at the “Stop the Steal” rally on Jan. 6, 2021. Weighing in on policy with DiGiovanni’s background is hypocritical, Garofalo said.
“I have refrained, I have not commented publicly out of respect for his wife and for his mother, about his role in Jan. 6, but his press release is laughable and demonstrates a gross disrespect for the voting process,” Garofalo said.
DiGiovanni was sentenced to 10 days in federal prison after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor trespassing charge for entering the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 while Congress was trying to certify Joseph Biden’s win over Donald Trump in the November 2020 U.S. Presidential election.
DiGiovanni was part of a mass pardon issued in 2025 after Trump was re-elected.
The candidate said he speaks with facts.
“Regarding Jan. 6, I have been fully transparent for my involvement,” DiGiovanni said. “It’s a shame Marc can’t do the same. Derby deserves a process that is not only fair but visibly fair.”
State law gives town clerks an important role in elections.
According to the Connecticut Town Clerks Association, the duties involved in administering elections include:
- Preparing and issuing absentee ballots
- Issuing and filing nominating petitions
- Candidate certifications
- Maintaining campaign finance record
- Publishing election notices
- Preparing and verifying election reports
DiGiovanni said those duties “should be delegated to impartial staff to avoid any appearance of conflict,” according to his statement. Garofalo said a town clerk can’t pick and choose which rules to follow.
Lisa Dalton is the president of the Connecticut Town Clerks Association. She is also the town clerk in Watertown and is a Republican. She said there are safeguards to keep town clerks honest.
“There are many checks and balances in place; most processes are set in state statute with additional guidance provided by the Secretary of the State’s office,” Dalton said in an email.
Dalton said two sections of state law (CGS 9-236 and CGS 9-258) specifically allow town clerks to fulfill their election responsibilities, even when up for re-election.
Dalton emailed the following procedures town clerks must follow:
- All absentee ballots and their corresponding envelopes are issued with serial numbers. Clerks are required to account for all supplies used, and everything is thoroughly documented.
- Reports are available at any time showing the number of ballots issued and to whom and when they are received back. These reports are available to the public by request.
- A clerk never opens any voted ballot. Ballots are received in a sealed condition, time-stamped, and logged with the method of return (e.g., ballot box, US Mail or carrier, or in person, or by an eligible third party). They are securely stored in vaults and transferred to the Registrar of Voters for counting on Election Day. Affidavits are completed to confirm that the ballots remained sealed and untampered with during the custody transfer.
- Most town clerks offices have multiple staff members who work collaboratively. For example, in my office, all outgoing ballots are double-checked by two staff members before being mailed.
- Daily reports are available to ensure that the numbers of outgoing and incoming ballots remain in balance.
Garofalo is also the first executive vice president of the town clerk’s association.
DiGiovanni is also chairman of the Derby Republican Town Committee and chairman of the Derby Planning and Zoning Commission.
** Correction: the original version of this story said town clerks are elected. In some towns or cities they are appointed. **