Town Council decides on election guidelines

Janine Marnien

Those interested in running for the Crescenta Valley Town Council

can apply now, the council has decided.

A report from the election committee on election guidelines was

heard by the council at its September meeting, and was largely

accepted save for a proposed bylaw change concerning officer

elections.

Guidelines include extending the election from a half-day to a

full day and changing the process by which voters can get absentee

ballots.

“I like that we’ve extended the hours and they’re willing to man

the polls,” President Danette Erickson said. “And there had been some

discussion about not allowing absentee ballots, but we will be doing

that, which I think is a good thing. Everybody has a right to vote,

and we’re hoping everyone does vote.”

The council also voted at a special meeting Sept. 5 to allow

voters to select only one candidate instead of three, as in years

past.

Councilman Charles Beatty challenged the previous decision at the

regular meeting of the council Sept. 19, but was unsuccessful in

changing his colleagues’ minds.

Alternate Councilwoman Jaleen Lunt was opposed to reversing the

previous decision.

“It just struck me as wrong,” she said. “Not two weeks before, the

same issues had been voted on and it had passed by a narrow margin.

To have it brought up again when most of the people who amounted to

the majority weren’t there just seemed wrong.”

Three regular and three alternate seats will be open at the

election, which will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 2. Applications

can be downloaded off the council’s Web site at

www.yourtowncouncil.org, or by calling 248-9387. Applications must be

postmarked by Oct. 15.

Absentee ballots are available by mail to registered voters upon

request. Requests should be sent to P.O. Box 8676, La Crescenta, CA

91214.

The proposed bylaw change will be considered by the council and

brought back for the discussion at the October meeting.