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Absentee issue remains divisive
Input-gathering session on proposed ballot ordinance shows the two sides are still far apart.
By Jason Wells
SOUTHWEST GLENDALE — A public input meeting Wednesday night on a contentious draft ordinance that would require absentee ballot applications to be sent directly to the city clerk saw those on both sides of the debate dig in their heels.
Similar contention led to a last-minute delay Jan. 29 on a final City Council vote.
Under the threat of legal action and strong opposition from a number of immigrant social service and political action groups, the council postponed a final vote on the draft ordinance to allow more time for public outreach and education on the proposed change.
On Wednesday, it was clear the extra time had allowed those on each side to hone their arguments in anticipation of what is sure to be another fiery City Council meeting Tuesday night, when the draft ordinance is up for the final vote.
Councilmen John Drayman, Frank Quintero and Dave Weaver have all expressed strong support for the draft ordinance despite a concerted effort from the Armenian National Committee and other organizations to stop it, arguing that it infringes on the rights of and services to the immigrant community.
“Some people don’t like the fact that more Armenians are participating in the system,” said Zanku Armenian, a board member for the Armenian National Committee Western Region. “It’s the new Glendale.”
Time and time again, his committee and its members have framed the effort to prevent candidate campaign offices as an affront to immigrants who have a hard time understanding the ballot application and who rely on the voter education and help services that outside organizations provide in order to navigate the process.
Supporters of the change — including the League of Women Voters Burbank-Glendale — have said mandating absentee ballot applications to go directly to the City Clerk’s Office would streamline the voting process and not affect the actual voting ballot.
“There’s a lot of misunderstanding, apparently,” said Arline Ames, a member of the voting league. “No one’s talking about taking someone’s vote away.”
Currently, municipal candidates can distribute absentee ballot applications with a return address to their own campaign offices.
Candidates can then hold on to the forms for up to 72 hours before turning them over to the city clerk, who then issues the actual voting ballot directly to the applicant.
Candidates have historically used that holding time to record the names, addresses and phone numbers of the applicants in order to follow up and make sure they submit the actual voting ballot.
Opponents of the change fear it would prevent service organizations from making sure non-English-speaking or elderly voters follow through to the end of the process.
This despite language two weeks ago added to the draft clarifying that service organizations would be prevented only from handling “completed” applications, and that no one would be prevented from “educating or assisting voters with a vote-by-mail ballot application.”
But the final step — when a voter must mail a completed ballot back to the city clerk — is what has many opponents worried.
“When they forward it back to us, we follow up,” said Hyun Joo Lee, national organizer for the National Korean American Service and Education Consortium.
The proposed ordinance would eliminate that service and “sustain that gap,” she argued.
City Atty. Scott Howard made it clear that no part of the ordinance would affect the actual voting ballot, only the application for one.
Still, opponents say that in the face of the draft ordinance’s likely passage next week, they are prepared to sue to keep it from taking effect.
Lee said her organization was investigating the ordinance for possible violations of the Voting Rights Act. A letter read to the City Council last week from the Los Angeles County Democratic Party also threatened legal action. And Grace Loo, executive director of the Korean American Coalition Los Angeles branch, said her organization was considering joining the Armenian National Committee in a possible lawsuit.
Armenian said a coalition to stop the ordinance with a court challenge if it is passed Tuesday was already in the process of forming.
“I think those things are always on the table when there’s no facts to support the change,” he said, adding that changing elections law would surely invite outside legal scrutiny.
JASON WELLS covers City Hall. He may be reached at (818) 637-3235 or by e-mail at jason.wells@latimes.com.
Similar contention led to a last-minute delay Jan. 29 on a final City Council vote.
Under the threat of legal action and strong opposition from a number of immigrant social service and political action groups, the council postponed a final vote on the draft ordinance to allow more time for public outreach and education on the proposed change.
On Wednesday, it was clear the extra time had allowed those on each side to hone their arguments in anticipation of what is sure to be another fiery City Council meeting Tuesday night, when the draft ordinance is up for the final vote.
Councilmen John Drayman, Frank Quintero and Dave Weaver have all expressed strong support for the draft ordinance despite a concerted effort from the Armenian National Committee and other organizations to stop it, arguing that it infringes on the rights of and services to the immigrant community.
“Some people don’t like the fact that more Armenians are participating in the system,” said Zanku Armenian, a board member for the Armenian National Committee Western Region. “It’s the new Glendale.”
Time and time again, his committee and its members have framed the effort to prevent candidate campaign offices as an affront to immigrants who have a hard time understanding the ballot application and who rely on the voter education and help services that outside organizations provide in order to navigate the process.
Supporters of the change — including the League of Women Voters Burbank-Glendale — have said mandating absentee ballot applications to go directly to the City Clerk’s Office would streamline the voting process and not affect the actual voting ballot.
“There’s a lot of misunderstanding, apparently,” said Arline Ames, a member of the voting league. “No one’s talking about taking someone’s vote away.”
Currently, municipal candidates can distribute absentee ballot applications with a return address to their own campaign offices.
Candidates can then hold on to the forms for up to 72 hours before turning them over to the city clerk, who then issues the actual voting ballot directly to the applicant.
Candidates have historically used that holding time to record the names, addresses and phone numbers of the applicants in order to follow up and make sure they submit the actual voting ballot.
Opponents of the change fear it would prevent service organizations from making sure non-English-speaking or elderly voters follow through to the end of the process.
This despite language two weeks ago added to the draft clarifying that service organizations would be prevented only from handling “completed” applications, and that no one would be prevented from “educating or assisting voters with a vote-by-mail ballot application.”
But the final step — when a voter must mail a completed ballot back to the city clerk — is what has many opponents worried.
“When they forward it back to us, we follow up,” said Hyun Joo Lee, national organizer for the National Korean American Service and Education Consortium.
The proposed ordinance would eliminate that service and “sustain that gap,” she argued.
City Atty. Scott Howard made it clear that no part of the ordinance would affect the actual voting ballot, only the application for one.
Still, opponents say that in the face of the draft ordinance’s likely passage next week, they are prepared to sue to keep it from taking effect.
Lee said her organization was investigating the ordinance for possible violations of the Voting Rights Act. A letter read to the City Council last week from the Los Angeles County Democratic Party also threatened legal action. And Grace Loo, executive director of the Korean American Coalition Los Angeles branch, said her organization was considering joining the Armenian National Committee in a possible lawsuit.
Armenian said a coalition to stop the ordinance with a court challenge if it is passed Tuesday was already in the process of forming.
“I think those things are always on the table when there’s no facts to support the change,” he said, adding that changing elections law would surely invite outside legal scrutiny.
JASON WELLS covers City Hall. He may be reached at (818) 637-3235 or by e-mail at jason.wells@latimes.com.
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