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Politics

San Diego Voters Head To The Polls

A "vote here" sign hangs above the door at the San Diego County Registrar of Voters Office in Kearny Mesa on May 31, 2014.
Michael Schuerman
A "vote here" sign hangs above the door at the San Diego County Registrar of Voters Office in Kearny Mesa on May 31, 2014.

After months of being inundated with campaign ads, voters in San Diego County and across the state head to the polls on Tuesday for the California primary election. The ballot features congressional and statewide offices, county supervisor, City Council and District Attorney.

San Diego Voters Head To The Polls
Morning Edition anchor Deb Welsh speaks with Michael Vu from the San Diego Registrar of Voters.

KPBS Election Coverage

KPBS Radio: Stream online or tune to 89.5 FM beginning at 8 p.m. Local election results from the KPBS Newsroom

KPBS TV - Election updates starting at 8 p.m. and continuing through the night. At 11 p.m., join Evening Edition for results and analysis

KPBS Online - www.kpbs.org: Results, updates, reports, photos and more -- available throughout the evening

Follow us on Twitter for results and reaction: @KPBSNews

Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Voters can find their polling place here. The vote-by-mail ballot can be dropped off at any one of 1,403 polling places in the County of San Diego, or to the Registrar’s new office, located at 5600 Overland Ave., San Diego, 92123.

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For voters who need language assistance, election materials are also available in Spanish, Filipino, Vietnamese and Chinese. For more information, call (858) 565-5800 or visit sdvote.com.

San Diego County Registrar of Voters Michael Vu projected that 35 percent of registered voters would cast a ballot in the primary election, while other observers said turnout could sink to a historic low.

Concluding months of comprehensive coverage, KPBS News will provide live radio, TV and online election coverage starting at 8 p.m., with journalists reporting from election headquarters downtown and around the county. At 11 p.m. on KPBS television, join KPBS Evening Edition host Peggy Pico for results and analysis.

Here's a look at some of the key races:

CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR

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California's primary for governor this year has become a race for second place. With Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, widely predicted to take the top spot, two Republican candidates with starkly contrasting views and styles are jostling for financial and voter support.

CONGRESS

Rep. Scott Peters, D-San Diego, will face his first reelection test today. The freshman from La Jolla appears to be the only member of the five-person San Diego congressional delegation who will face a stiff reelection challenge. He'll go up against former Councilman and onetime San Diego mayoral candidate Carl DeMaio, businessman Kirk Jorgensen and surgeon Dr. Fred Simon Jr. in his bid to return to Washington, D.C., from the state's 52nd Congressional District. All three challengers are Republicans.

SAN DIEGO CITY COUNCIL

Four seats on the City Council will be at stake, with the possibility of close races for two of the spots. Even-numbered districts will be decided this year, and candidates who receive more than 50 percent of the vote will win office outright. Otherwise, the two top vote-getters will proceed to November's general election.

DISTRICT ATTORNEY

Bonnie Dumanis will face her toughest reelection challenge as district attorney. Dumanis, who is seeking a fourth term, faces lawyer Robert Brewer and former county prosecutor Terri Wyatt. She was unopposed in her previous reelection races.

SAN DIEGO PROPOSITIONS

A contentious jobs-versus-resident-quality-of-life debate in a small portion of San Diego will be tackled by voters citywide in today's primary election. In Propositions B and C, voters will be asked to affirm the City Council's actions last year to update the zoning plan for Barrio Logan. The plan, five years in the making, separates industrial and residential land uses that are intermingled in the economically disadvantaged neighborhood south of downtown San Diego. Proposition A would, among other things, set the city's inauguration day for Dec. 10, or the first Monday following if that date lands on a weekend.

SAN DIEGO COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

Oceanside Mayor Jim Wood will seek to end Bill Horn's two-decade run as the county supervisor representing nearly 1,800 square miles of the North County in today's primary election, while the other supervisor up for reelection, Ron Roberts, is running unopposed to represent the majority of the city of San Diego.

SAN DIEGO SCHOOL BOARD

A San Diego Unified School District advisory committee chairwoman and frequent Board of Education meeting attendee will challenge the board president in today's election, while a retired teacher is running unopposed in another race. Board president Kevin Beiser's tenure representing the city's northeastern neighborhoods has included spearheading an effort to keep cuts away from visual and performing arts programs, implementing an anti-bullying policy and a ban on Styrofoam lunch trays.

STATE PROPOSITIONS

Voters will be asked to decide two important issues –- whether to fund housing for low-income veterans, and who should pay for public access to government records. Proposition 41 allows the state to sell $600 million in bonds to fund affordable rental housing for low-income and homeless veterans. Proposition 42 would remove the mandate that the state reimburse local entities for the costs of following California's open meeting law and Public Records Act.

The 2024 primary election is March 5. Find in-depth reporting on each race to help you understand what's on your ballot.