CALIFORNIA IN BRIEF : MODESTO : County Seeks boost in Absentee Voting

Stanislaus County, which had the highest absentee voting rate in California in the November, 1988, elections, wants to conduct the next general election almost entirely by mail. The unusual proposal, expected to be approved by county supervisors, calls for closing 210 of the 230 polling places and using mail-in ballots instead. At the remaining 20 polls, voting machines would be replaced on Election Day with drop-off boxes where late voters could deposit completed forms. All-mail balloting has been conducted in at least three cities--Modesto, San Francisco and San Diego--but those involved special elections. If Stanislaus County uses mail balloting on Nov. 6, it would include races for governor and other constitutional officers, and votes on dozens of ballot initiatives, local measures and races for Congress, the state Senate and Assembly.