ARMENIAN VOTERS LASH OUT AT DAIS
By Jason Wells

Glendale News Press
Jan 23 2008
CA

Council’s move on ordinance to change absentee ballots draws a room
full of upset residents.

CITY HALL – A strong rebuke from the Armenian-American community
that came laced with accusations of discrimination and bigotry did
not stop the City Council Tuesday night from introducing an ordinance
that would prevent municipal campaign offices from handling absentee
ballot applications.

An overflow crowd at council chambers produced more than a dozen
speakers who called the move a thinly veiled attempt to keep
first-generation Armenians out of the elections system as some on
the council pander to "hateful malcontents" in the community.

While applications for absentee ballots are currently attached to the
back of every sample ballot issued through the city clerk’s office
to each registered voter, campaign workers have been able to issue
their own that, instead of a return address to the city clerk, come
back to them.

As campaign offices receive the absentee ballot applications, they have
72 hours before they must hand them over to the city clerk, who issues
the actual ballot. During that time, candidates have historically
considered the requester as a strong potential supporter, and often
follow up with the voters after the absentee ballots have been issued.

In expressing support for the ordinance, Councilmen John Drayman,
Frank Quintero and Dave Weaver agreed with other proponents – like the
League of Women Voters of Glendale/Burbank – who argued that removing
campaign offices as the midpoint would streamline the process and
eliminate the potential for any future mishandling.

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The ordinance, which will come before the City Council next week
for a confirmation vote before it takes effect, would put Glendale’s
process in line with the city of Los Angeles.

But the response from mostly the Armenian-American community did
little to move the three council supporters of the change.

"It is unfortunate that so many speakers chose to take that tact
with their presentation because I don’t think it does them any good
really. It just creates a negative situation," Quintero said.

Drayman also took issue with accusations of discrimination that were
widely circulated in a form e-mail to the council members even before
Tuesday’s meeting.

In the hundreds of letters sent through the Armenian National Committee
Glendale Chapter’s website, the group said the proposed change would
create significant confusion among local, state and federal elections
and prevent nonprofits from educating and assisting voters – and would
affect Armenian-Americans so much so that a vote for the ordinance
would be "a vote for discrimination."

"This isn’t about racism, maybe about difference of opinion," Drayman
said. "I think there is something fundamentally wrong with using
absentee ballots as an electioneering tool."

But Zanku Armenian, a board member for the Armenian National
Committee Western Region, argued that the council’s intention was
not to streamline the process, but to take steps to limit the growing
influence of the Armenian-American vote.

"It’s a solution looking for a problem," he said.

His organization was not alone in that assessment.

Grace Yoo, executive director of Korean American Coalition, said the
impact of the change would dampen participation among her constituents,
who rely on volunteer assistance at every stage of the voting process.

"You’re basically going to disenfranchise my voters," she told the
council. "Your actions really are significant."

For their part, Councilman Bob Yousefian and Mayor Ara Najarian –
who have opposed the proposed changes from the start – agreed with
others who asserted the ordinance was in response to unfounded charges
of voter fraud.

"There isn’t one shred of proof," Najarian said. "If we lose one
voter because of the change of this process, that’s too much.

He and Yousefian argued the move would limit voter participation and
infringe upon the rights of candidates and their voters, especially
considering the limitations of the city clerk’s office, which typically
uses an influx of volunteers to temper greater staffing needs during
municipal elections.

But supporters of the change, including the three council members
who supported the ordinance, said resources for the city clerk could
and should be increased if it means campaign offices do end up having
less of an impact.

"With enough funding, and enough resources, anything is possible,"
City Clerk Ardy Kassakhian said.

City Manager Jim Starbird also assured the council that if the need
presents itself, he and Kassakhian would develop a plan to address
the need for greater resources, which could involve the allocation
of more funds in the future.