Election Day is here, finally

It’s finally here.

For candidates and campaigns — and a weary and some say wary electorate — Election Day has arrived with the polls open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m.

Hanging in the balance is control of Congress, every statewide office and most of the seats in the Legislature, and the nonstop, raucous 52nd Congressional District race between Democratic Rep. Scott Peters and Republican Carl DeMaio.

Several statewide measures are also on the ballot, including a $7.5 billion water bond (Proposition 1) and another to reduce certain nonviolent felonies to misdemeanors (Proposition 47).

View the photo gallery: Election Day 2014

By the time the polls close here, we should know if a projected Republican wave has swept over the land, setting up a house divided with the GOP controlling the House and Senate and Democratic President Barack Obama occupying the White House.

More than a half-dozen cities around the county are electing mayors, a pivotal City Council seat is up for grabs in San Diego, there are school bonds to be decided, and a slew of local taxing district board candidates await the will of the voters.

After a dismal turnout in the June primary, a looming question is voter turnout. On Monday, San Diego County Registrar Michael Vu was predicting between 48 percent and 51 percent, reserving the right to amend his prediction once he has a sense of the numbers showing up at the polls. Others are predicting a far lower turnout.

Claremont McKenna College political science professor Jack Pitney said this election probably signals the end of Obama’s legislative presidency because of expected GOP gains. Any major policy moves from Obama will come through unilateral, executive action, he predicts.

In California, Pitney thinks Republicans have a chance to end their decade-long absence from statewide office, although it won’t be in the marquee offices.

“Republicans in a low-turnout election have a chance to make some gains here and there, including a congressional seat or two, but California will still be solidly blue, although perhaps a lighter shade of blue,” he said.

In the months-long dogfight between Peters and DeMaio, the attack ads that aired one after another after another for weeks will disappear at day’s end.

Scott Peters (L) and Carl DeMaio — U-T San Diego

( / U-T San Diego)

But disappearing was not on the mind of either man on Monday as they summoned reporters and supporters to their campaign headquarters to deliver closing messages.

“My wife is going to be so mad when this is over — she loves the commercials,” Peters joked.

He rallied campaign volunteers in the final hours, telling them he is proud of their effort and believes his message of “moving to the middle of the room” to work with Republicans versus what he called his “divisive” opponent is reason for re-election.

“The eyes of the country are on us,” he said, and then, taking account of what polls say is a dead-heat in the race: “I’m sorry I make ’em all close, but I win the close ones.”

DeMaio told his supporters that he believes his message to “reform Washington” and broaden the GOP has resonated with those desperate for change in the nation’s capital. Peters, he said, represents the last two years of legislative failure in Washington.

“Our campaign is demonstrating an enthusiasm and unity of purpose that I believe will catch fire across this country,” he said.

DeMaio has the chance to make history and become the first openly gay Republican House candidate to win office, a distinction he downplays but exemplifies in his theme of creating a more inclusive party focused on the economy and leaving people to make their own choices on social issues.

While uncorroborated allegations of sexual harassment by DeMaio from two former campaign workers have added a distinctly unsavory aspect to the election, polls suggest voters have been unmoved by the claims, which the candidate vigorously denies.

The county’s other four House members are expected to easily win new two-year terms.

East County’s Ron Nehring and Orange County’s Neel Kashkari were in town Monday making a final pitch for the lieutenant governor and governor’s post, respectively, at a GOP office in Oceanside where they rallied the troops. Neither is expected to meet success against Gov. Jerry Brown and Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom.

So when will we get the results? The first word will come right after 8 p.m. when the registrar’s office releases its count of more than 311,000 mail ballots in hand as of Monday. That’s roughly 36 percent of those issued, and Vu expects up to 100,000 more will be dropped off at polling places today.TUE

And despite Vu’s prediction of up to half of the county’s more than 1.5 million voters showing up for this election, the folks at the National University System for Policy Research predict a dismal 34 percent to 38 percent turnout.

The second ballot-count result in the county should come about 10 p.m. and then about every half-hour until all 1,432 precincts are tallied. Expect tens of thousands of provisional and other ballots to remain uncounted at the end of the night, however, meaning close races could take days or weeks to decide.

To locate your polling place, go online to sdvote.com or call 858-565-5800.