BURBANK – The ballots for Burbank’s all-mail Primary Election should be arriving in voters’ mailboxes the week of February 4th. Watch for yours if you live in the city, advises the ANCA-Burbank.
Burbank adopted the mail-in ballot system a decade ago. This makes voters’ lives much easier because they don’t have to go to a polling place on Election Day, which is Tuesday, February 26. All ballots must be RECEIVED in the City Clerk’s office by 7:00 pm that day. Otherwise they will not be counted. A postmark with that date is not valid.
“Please be very alert and watch for your ballot,” said Gaidzag Shabazian, Armenian national Committee of America—Burbank Electoral/Political Chair. “Voters often mistake the large ballot envelope for junk mail and throw it out. Then, they have to get a replacement, wasting time and effort.” See the accompanying picture of the envelope in which the ballot and voter pamphlet were mailed two years ago, so you know what to expect.
Voting is easy. Just fill in the bubbles next to the names of the candidates endorsed by the ANCA. (See the accompanying picture of the completed, two sided, ballot). Then, tear off the top stub of the ballot and insert the ballot in the secrecy sleeve. Finally, put the ballot/secrecy sleeve in the envelope provided, sign the envelope, and drop it in the mail. This year, for the first time, the envelope is postage-paid, so voters don’t have to put a stamp on it.
As a reminder the endorsed candidates are:
- City Council: David Gordon, Bob Frutos, and Jess Talamantes
- Board of Education: Armond Aghakhanian and Larry Applebaum
- City Clerk: Zizette Mullins
“Our Burbank voting system is easy because we all vote from the comfort of home,” said Hagop Hergelian, ANCA-B activist. “But this year, we have a slight complication. We have Measure S, a school bond to pay for modernization of our schools. Unfortunately, because of state law, we will be voting on that in a separate election on March 5. This election is of the traditional, go-to-the-polling-place type. Voters will receive the information about both of these elections at roughly the same time and may get confused. If you have any questions, please call the Burbank ANCA at 818/562-1918 or e-mail at: Info@ancaburbank.org.
Participation by the Armenian community is very important. It demonstrates the concern everyone shares for improving Burbank and gets people elected to office who are most sensitive to the Armenian community’s needs.
The Armenian National Committee of America—Burbank advances the social, economic, cultural, and political rights of the area’s Armenian community and promotes its increased civic participation at the grassroots and public policy levels.
