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San Diego County Voters Head To The Polls

A man votes outside Featheringill Mortuary in El Cajon Boulevard, Nov. 8, 2016.
Beth Accomando
A man votes outside Featheringill Mortuary in El Cajon Boulevard, Nov. 8, 2016.

San Diego County Voters Head To The Polls
San Diego County Voters Head To The Polls GUESTS: Michael Vu, registrar of voters, San Diego County Beth Accomando, reporter, KPBS News

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After months of being inundated with political ads, contentious debates and endless commentary, voters in San Diego County and across the nation head to the polls Tuesday for the General Election.

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The County's 1,500 polling places will stay open until 8 p.m. Voting is also taking place at the county Registrar of Voters office on Overland Avenue in Kearny Mesa. Those who have completed their mail ballots but haven't sent them in yet can drop them off at any of the polling places, at the registrar's office or one of numerous other locations around the county. The drop-off locations include 22 libraries, the Oceanside Civic Center and a drive-through option at the Carlsbad Alga Norte Community Park. Voters with completed mail-in ballots have until 8 p.m. to turn them in.

Elections officials anticipate nearly three-quarters of the San Diego region's registered voters will cast votes. County Registrar of Voters Michael Vu said he expects voter turnout to be around 72 to 77 percent. He said nearly half of about 1.1 million mail ballots issued by his office had been returned so far.

In addition to determining races for president, Congress and the state Legislature, San Diego voters will also decide the fate of dozens of other ballot measures and contests.

Longtime Congressman Darrell Issa, R-Vista, is in a tough battle with Democrat and political newcomer Doug Applegate. Meanwhile, Congressman Scott Peters, D-San Diego, faces Republican challenger, Denise Gitsham.

People line up to vote at a polling place at a home in San Diego, Nov. 8, 2016.
Natalie Walsh
People line up to vote at a polling place at a home in San Diego, Nov. 8, 2016.
A voter receives a ballot at a polling place on Mission Avenue in Oceanside, Nov. 8, 2016.
Alison St John
A voter receives a ballot at a polling place on Mission Avenue in Oceanside, Nov. 8, 2016.

RELATED: San Diego’s Minority Voters Get Free Rides To Polls

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In the city of San Diego, Ricardo Flores and Georgette Gomez will square-off for the City Council seat in District 9, and while Ray Ellis withdrew from consideration for another City Council seat, his name remains on the ballot against Barbara Bry. Also, Mara Elliott and Robert Hickey will face each other in a race for city attorney.

The line to vote at 734 Park Ave in downtown #SanDiego goes halfway down the block @kpbsofficial @kpbsnews

A photo posted by Matthew Bowler (@bowlersdesk) on

In the county of San Diego, Supervisor Dave Roberts will try to hold his seat against challenger Kristin Gaspar.

There are 35 various ballot measures to be considered around the county. They include 10 school bond issues, seven for K-12 districts and three for community college districts. There are proposed sales tax hikes in Chula Vista and Del Mar and repeals of medical marijuana dispensary bans in La Mesa and Lemon Grove. San Diego County voters will also decide whether to raise the sales tax by a half-cent countywide to fund infrastructure improvements. That's Measure A and if it passes, it will bring in $18 billion over 40 years. It also needs more than two-thirds of the vote to pass. Measure B would authorize a 608-acre development in the Lilac Hills section of Valley Center. Measure C would raise the city's hotel tax so a public agency can borrow more than $1 billion to help build a stadium convention center complex.