A second Bridgeport City Council member could face criminal charges for an absentee ballot scandal that made national headlines.

State election regulators referred Eneida Martinez to prosecutors on Wednesday – two weeks after they referred fellow Councilwoman Maria Pereira.

Surveillance cameras caught Martinez and others stuffing absentee ballot drop boxes last fall, leading a judge to toss out last year's Democratic primary for mayor.

Candidate John Gomes filed the lawsuit.

“I think it’s one step towards what we’re looking for – for the city of Bridgeport, for its voters,” Gomes said. “We’re looking for transparency. We’ve been looking for accountability.”

Most of the footage featured Martinez and longtime City Hall employee Wanda Geter-Pataky. Both worked for Gomes’ opponent, Mayor Joe Ganim. During the trial, both women asserted their Fifth Amendment right to avoid self-incrimination.

On Wednesday, the State Elections Enforcement Commission referred Martinez to the Chief State’s Attorney for possible prosecution. SEEC cited the videos, as well as a complaint alleging that Martinez’s campaign workers illegally collected absentee ballots at a senior apartment complex.

“Since the election is next week, we’re trying to speed things up,” the worker allegedly told a voter.

Gomes believes Martinez swayed the Sept. 12 Democratic primary.

“Based on what I saw, and based on what the evidence shows, she was a culprit,” he said.

Martinez declined to comment on Wednesday. Her attorney, John Gulash, did not respond to calls and texts.

Martinez already faces reckless endangerment charges related to a social club where a shooting took place in 2020. Bridgeport police said she violated COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

But despite her legal troubles, Bridgeport Democrats recently endorsed Martinez for a General Assembly seat.

“It’s emotional,” Martinez told fellow Democrats after receiving the endorsement. “Very emotional for me.”

She faces state Rep. Andre Baker in a primary next month.

Martinez is the second Bridgeport politician potentially facing charges for the 2023 ballot scandal, but she may not be the last.

SEEC also referred Councilwoman Maria Pereira on July 3. A complaint alleges that Pereira bribed and threatened voters. Pereira campaigned for Gomes.

Regulators are investigating dozens of complaints related to the ballot stuffing scandal, including two from the Bridgeport Police Department. No suspects have been named yet in those complaints.

The allegations go back farther than 2023.

A third Bridgeport City Council member was recently charged, along with three other political operatives, for ballot fraud in the 2019 election. One of the defendants is Geter-Pataky.

For Bridgeport voters, it's just more discouraging news.

“It is a little surprising, but it's not necessarily something that wouldn't happen,” said Janae Burton, of Bridgeport.

State regulators also dismissed a complaint claiming that Ganim actually lives in Easton. SEEC members ruled that utility bills, voter registration and other documents prove that Bridgeport is the mayor’s “bona fide” residence.

“Thank you to the SEEC for their attention and dismissal of this frivolous complaint,” Ganim said in a statement. “This situation raises the question of the need for a higher standard when submitting complaints, as some are simply false, erroneous, or intended to cause disturbances and make false allegations, particularly during a political campaign.”