Ballot drop-off locations open as election nears

With ballot drop-off centers open throughout Burbank today and on election day, the city is already seeing a bigger turnout for the general election than it saw at this time during recent municipal elections.

The deadline to mail in ballots has passed, but City Clerk Zizette Mullins said as of Friday roughly 8,400 ballots had been received, compared to 7,800 at the same point during the primary and 7,600 during the 2013 general election.

“So far we are ahead,” Mullins said in an email Friday, noting that in-person drop-off locations will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today.

With campaigns winding down, some candidates reported that they have not raised any funds in the latest campaign finance reports filed with the City Clerk’s office, covering the period March 28 through April 8. City Councilwoman Emily Gabel-Luddy and candidates Will Rogers and Christopher Rizzotti, however, got a final push from their backers.

In the school board race, candidate Greg Sousa, 51, promised not to raise or spend more than $1,000. Armond Aghakhanian, 43, an adjunct Woodbury University professor, who has raised $25,500 so far, reported no direct contributions during the latest period.

In addition to literature and accounting expenses, Aghakhanian reported a $700 expenditure for a television spot on the Armenian American Broadcasting Corp. channel in his latest filing. He lost a 2013 bid for the school board.

This race around, he set about running an aggressive campaign involving walking door-to-door to spread his message.

Sousa’s aim is to close the achievement gap among students and provide effective communication pathways from school officials to parents. He has come under fire from some residents for his legal troubles, which included a conviction for a 2011 assault near a Burbank elementary school.

Aghakhanian, who has raised eyebrows with the amount of money he has raised from outside Burbank, wants to increase the number of students who attend four-year schools, while also offer workforce training programs for students who opt to enter into a career upon high school graduation.

Gabel-Luddy, the only incumbent in the race for two open City Council seats, reported nearly $1,248 in contributions, bringing her total to $27,700, including the primary. After the last city sponsored meet-and-greet event last week, she said she would not take her early lead for granted and will be campaigning up until the end.

In prior reporting periods, she’s received notable backing from unions, pro-business organizations and Realtors, including some independent political action campaigns, which spent nearly $10,000 during the primary race where she led the field. Only one outside committee, the Building Owners and Managers Assn. of Greater Los Angeles, made a direct $400 contribution in the latest period.

Will Rogers, a former Burbank Leader columnist who has touted his investigative journalism background, finished second in the primary with more than a third of the vote at the end of February. He has raised a total of roughly $17,200 so far.

Rogers garnered a reported $974 in contributions during the latest period, including $400 from Assemblyman Adrin Nazarian (D-Van Nuys), who is running for reelection to the 46th district. Last month, he reported receiving the endorsement of Congressman Adam Schiff (D-Burbank), who has also backed Gabel-Luddy in the race.

Leading the pack for the most money raised in the latest round of financial reports is Christopher Rizzotti, who finished third in the primary, about 1,000 votes behind Rogers. He pulled in $1,750, according to the latest reports, including a $400 contribution from the Building Owners and Managers Assn. committee, bringing his total to $27,450, the second-most of all the candidates.

Rizzotti also reported a nearly $8,000 expenditure on campaign literature in his late filing, a significant expenditure compared to his opponents’ spending in the lead up to election day.

Juan Guillen, whose 2013 campaign for City Council ended in a primary defeat, finished fourth in this year’s primary. He reported no direct contributions in the latest period and about $500 in expenditures, mostly for postage fees. Last month he picked up endorsements from Burbank Vice Mayor Bob Frutos and the Burbank chapter of the Armenian National Committee of America.

The Marine Corps veteran and small business owner said that after his primary showing this year, he knew he had a lot of ground to make up. Last week he said he would be “working hard till the bitter end.”

Click here for drop-off center locations and timings.

-- Kelly Corrigan and Chad Garland, Times Community News