Mail-in ballots are the way to go
When residents go to the polls Tuesday, they will decide if they want
to continue going to the polls.
The ballot’s Measure M would change the city’s primary and general
elections to ones conducted by mail, ending the days of voting at a
school or other facility in a curtained booth.
While there is a certain nostalgia that goes with the voting-booth
tradition, statistics show that residents are more likely to vote
with mail-in ballots. A special election in October 2001 -- the
city’s first all-mail election -- drew a 35% voter response, which
was the largest in Burbank’s history. Yes, a widely debated measure
regarding the airport was on the ballot and accounted for some of the
increased turnout, but a good portion of that response also must be
attributed to the nature of by-mail balloting. That system is more
convenient, less time-consuming and cheaper than going to the polls.
Measure M was placed on the ballot for advisory purposes by the
City Council, which will ultimately decide the future of voting in
the city. By-mail balloting is the best choice for Burbank, and
voters need to send that message to the city.