Polls open in statewide primary, Glendale election

Election polls are set to open at 7 a.m. Tuesday and close at 8 p.m. with two Glendale-specific items on the ballot, along with the statewide primary races for California governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and other state and Los Angeles County positions.

Local contests include a special City Council election as well as a charter amendment. Voters can select one of five candidates vying for a 10-month term on council, which was prompted by a 14-month council appointment that expires in June.

Councilman Frank Quintero was appointed last April when former Councilman Rafi Manoukian left his seat to become City Treasurer.

The winner of this special council election will have to run again in April if they want a shot at a full four-year term.

The five contenders for the open seat are: Rick Barnes, a realtor and president of the Glendale Association of Realtors, Paula Devine, a retired teacher and board member on the city’s Commission on the Status of Women, Vartan Gharpetian, a small business owner and board member of the Historic Preservation Commission, Chahe Keuroghelian, a small business manager and former board member of the Design Review Board, and Mike Mohill, a retired businessman.

Barnes had the biggest campaign war chest as of the last campaign disclosure period ending May 22 with $59,279. Devine came in second in the fundraising race, netting $56,453 as of the same period.

All the candidates have called for a slow-down of downtown development and an increase in traffic safety measures. Keuroghelian has said he would take bold steps to fix Glendale’s budget shortfalls, such as rolling back salaries. Devine said she would push for creating a panel of pension experts to pitch new ideas as pensions continue to be a budget pressure. Mohill has said he wants to swap Glendale’s independent fire and police departments and contract with Los Angeles County for those services.

In addition to voting for a council member, Glendale residents can also choose to change how the city fills an open council seat mid-term, like the situation that prompted the current costly special election.

If one votes yea on “Measure G,” then an appointed council member could serve through the end of the remaining term, rather than be forced to step down as soon as a consolidated election could be held. The council could also call for a special election rather than making an appointment.

The election night count may not end until the early morning hours Wednesday. However, that number is not final. Vote-by-mail ballots received on Election Day, provisional ballots, write-in ballots and damaged ballots may still need to be tabulated. The Los Angeles County Registrar/Recorder is set to certify the election results by June 30.

Find your voting location and read a sample ballot before heading to the polls.

-- Brittany Levine, brittany.levine@latimes.com

Follow on Google+ and on Twitter: @brittanylevine.

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