Registrar: No Voter Will Be Shut Out if Polls Have Lines at 8 p.m. Closing

Despite a few of San Diego County’s roughly 6,300 poll workers calling in sick Tuesday, Election Day was going smoothly, the registrar of voters said.

And at the scheduled 8 p.m. closing, no voter will be left out in the cold (or the warm, in San Diego’s case).

“If there are folks in line waiting to vote, then they don't really close the polls until every last person has had a chance to vote,” said county Registrar of Voters Deborah Seiler.

The polls opened at 7 a.m. at 1,527 precincts countywide,  Seiler said.

“When you have over 1,500 precincts, naturally a few little things happen,” Seiler said, referring to poll workers who needed to be replaced at the last minute.

Many of the polling places were busy this morning, she said, adding that a few needed extra voting booths or pens.

San Diego County has about 1.56 million registered voters—its highest number ever. Seiler predicted a 75-80 percent turnout, about half of which in mail-in ballots.

“The reports that I'm hearing today lead me to believe that certainly half will be at the polling place as well,” Seiler said.

As of Monday afternoon, 464,127 mail-in ballots had been returned countywide, Seiler said, adding that they accounted for more half of those sent out.

Soon after the polls close, mail-in ballot results should be tabulated, she said. Those voting by mail-in ballot were expected to make up about 30 percent of the total countywide.

Results from precincts should start becoming available about 10 p.m., and most ballots should be counted by early Wednesday, Seiler said.

—City News Service contributed to this report.