Election analysts predict less than 23,000 citizens will cast a vote to fill the vacant seat on the Glendale City Council. Five candidates are competing for the seat left vacant because of Rafi Manoukian’s election as City Treasurer. The winning candidate could be elected with as few as 6,000 votes.
However, less than 5,000 Armenian-Americans from Glendale voted in the June 2012 State Primary elections. This is much lower than the approximately 9,500 Armenian-Americans who vote during the Glendale municipal elections.
A vote by more than 9,000 Armenian-Americans in the Special Glendale City Council elections will improve the chances of ANCA – Glendale endorsed candidate Vartan Gharpetian to get the most votes out of the five individuals seeking election. The ANCA – Glendale volunteers and Vartan Gharpetian’s campaign are reporting a tremendous positive response from registered voters and getting indications that registered voters will be voting from home or on June 3.
Every vote makes a difference. Examples of candidates winning or losing by a few hundred votes are many.
In 2007, Nayiri Nahabedian won election to the Glendale Unified School District (GUSD) Board by 230 votes.
In 2009, Rafi Manoukian missed getting elected as City Treasurer by 446 votes.
In 2011, Councilman Dave Weaver won by only 61 votes.
In 2013, Zareh Sinanyan was elected to the City Council by 356 votes and Dr. Armina Gharpetian to the GUSD Board by 303 votes.
Glendale citizens who will be 18 by June 3rd or have moved since the last time they voted need to register by May 19 to vote in the Special City Council elections.
Registration is easy and can be done via the internet at registertovote.ca.gov, the Glendale City Clerk’s office, the ANCA – Glendale or completing a registration form and mailing it before May 19.
Registered voters who prefer to vote by mail can apply online at lavote.net or complete and return the application on the back page of the Official Sample Ballot or at any of the locations mentioned above. Applications to vote by mail will need to be received by May 27. The ANCA – Glendale encourages the application request to be completed online and submitted as soon as possible to allow sufficient time to receive and return the official ballot.
Contact the ANCA – Glendale at 818-243-3444 or Vartan Gharpetian’s campaign at 818-627-7597 for assistance.
Most don’t vote because they want to avoid being on the jury duty list.