Election

Judy Seckler GLENDALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE -- It's an American politics teacher's dream come true. The uncertain outcome of the presidential election, which has received continuous broadcast news coverage, has provided a well of information from which Glendale Community College Professor Levon Marashlian has taped hours upon hours of video. The video screen has becomes Marashlian's black board. Marashlian has been bringing video clips to his American politics class to illustrate classroom concepts such as federalism, the electoral process, the Constitution, the role of public opinion in a democracy and the role of broadcast media in election coverage in Florida and the rest of the country.

Robert Chacon Voters didn't exactly rush to the polls Tuesday for the City Council election. "It has been really slow," said Lou Curry, a volunteer working the polling station at the La Canada Flintridge Public Library. "We've only had 115 people show up. I think most of the people must have voted absentee." The day before the election, 1,700 absentee ballots were returned, with more expected to arrive Tuesday. "There are no standout candidates, but I am happy with the City Council now," said Valerie Dunton, who cast an absentee ballot two weeks ago. A little more than 13,000 people are registered to vote in the city, which has a population of 21,000.

Robert Chacon In an election that could signal a trend for future Crescenta Valley Town Council elections, a record 705 people voted, more than doubling last year's tally and ushering in four new members while voting two back onto the council. La Crescenta's constituents cast 1,814 votes during Saturday's election, aided by new bylaws allowing voters to choose up to three candidates. Past elections have been characterized by dismal turnouts, with candidates being voted in by as few as 60 votes, but this year the top four vote-getters received more than 200 votes each.

Josh Kleinbaum A week into the filing period, the race for two open seats on the La Canada Unified School District's governing board looks like it could be an open-and-shut case. Just two candidates, Jinny Dalbeck, an incumbent up for reelection, and Cindy Wilcox, a newcomer, have filed the appropriate paperwork with the county registrar's office to run for the Nov. 4 school board election. If no other candidates file by the Aug. 8 deadline, Dalbeck and Wilcox will be awarded the seats without an election, saving the district between $50,000 and $60,000.

The Crescenta Valley Town Council will hold its annual election Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Crescenta Valley Sheriff's Station located at 4554 Briggs Ave. Voters will be asked to select three members for three-year terms. The next two finishers will be alternates and will serve one-year terms. The town council holds an election each year. The nine regular members serve staggered three-year terms, and each year the community elects three alternates. If there are not enough candidates to fill all the alternate positions, the council's bylaws allow the body to appoint alternates.

Janine Marnien Those interested in running for the Crescenta Valley Town Council can apply now, the council has decided. A report from the election committee on election guidelines was heard by the council at its September meeting, and was largely accepted save for a proposed bylaw change concerning officer elections. Guidelines include extending the election from a half-day to a full day and changing the process by which voters can get absentee ballots.

Marshall Allen The March 2003 City Council election is on the horizon, causing the city to make preliminary preparations and potential candidates to make up their minds about running for office. The La Canada Flintridge City Council seats of Jerry Martin, Deborah Orlik and Anthony Portantino will be open at the March 4, 2003 election. Each seat is held for a four-year term. To help the election run smoothly, Interim City Clerk Caroline deLlamas recently formed two more precincts for a total of seven.

Josh Kleinbaum Fueled by e-mail rumors and Internet columns, political mudslinging has reached a fever pitch as Tuesday's municipal election approaches. As 43 candidates vie for five elected offices in Glendale, accusations are being levied against candidates, often with little or no supporting proof. "We're starting to have Chicago-style campaigning," said Mayor Bob Yousefian, who has made a stuffed duck his campaign mascot, saying he will duck from any mudslinging.

Montrose community leader John Drayman, a member of the Montrose Shopping Park Association board, will run for Glendale City Council in next year's election. Drayman, who has been active with the Montrose Shopping Park, is a second-generation businessman in the community. His family has been in business since 1949. "I'd like to put people back in the city government," Drayman said. "The council has been very concerned with projects, but not so much with people issues." Drayman said her was speaking recently to a local meeting about the Town Center Americana project.

In May 2007, I volunteered as a worker at an obscure Burbank polling station for an ignored election. The experience both awed me of the workings of American democracy and deeply concerned me regarding its vitality. We had about 600 registered voters for our little area, 12 of whom showed up at the polls. I am not sure how many people voted absentee, as the paperwork that would have showed that figure never arrived. From conversations with fellow poll workers, it seemed that this vital piece of paperwork often shows up days after the election itself.