California polls close as voters weigh billionaire tax and city council seats

23,164,977 Californians were registered to vote as of September. That figure represents more than 85 percent of the eligible voting population in the state. The polls closed Tuesday for the midterm election.

Voters cast ballots for a new governor, city council seats in Newport Beach, and 14 statewide propositions. The election also includes contests for control of the U.S. House of Representatives. Orange County residents registered to vote numbered 1,905,933 as of September.

Paul Mitchell of Political Data said that California is poised to see 60 percent of registered voters head to the polls. He called the projected turnout a record for a gubernatorial race. Mitchell said the blue wave is on track based on high turnout among Latino voters.

Democrats represented 51 percent of ballots returned statewide as of October 29, according to the Political Data tracker. Republican voters accounted for 28 percent of returned ballots. In Orange County, 36.46 percent of registered voters identify as Democrats and 33.59 percent as Republicans.

The governor’s race pitted Democrat Xavier Becerra against Republican Steve Hilton. Becerra held a steady lead in the polls throughout the campaign. A SurveyUSA poll released in the final days of the election showed Becerra with a 22-point lead. The primary was marked by a crowded field and a frontrunner who stepped down amid sexual assault allegations.

In Newport Beach, eight candidates run for four open seats on the City Council. Incumbents Erik Weigand, Robyn Grant, Lauren Kleiman, and Joe Stapleton seek reelection. Businesswoman Tina Babajanians runs against Stapleton in District 1. Author Walter Stahr faces retired construction executive Tim Stoaks and Weigand in District 3.

Robyn Grant is the sole candidate for District 4. Retired surgeon Andrew P. Gerken challenges Mayor Kleiman in District 6. The outcome of these races will determine the composition of the local council for the next term.

The 5th District Board of Supervisors seat is contested between Katrina Foley and Assemblymember Diane Dixon. Foley is a Democrat and former mayor of Costa Mesa. Dixon is a Republican and former mayor of Newport Beach. The winner will oversee the Dana Point Harbor revitalization project and coastal protection efforts in south Orange County.

Newport Beach residents voted on Measure H, a resident-sponsored initiative to limit state-required housing. A yes vote would reduce the city’s state-mandated housing element by 65 percent. The measure caps planned housing capacity in five designated areas at 2,900 units. The affected areas include Dover/Westcliff, Newport Center, West Newport Mesa, the Airport Area, and Coyote Canyon.

Statewide, Proposition 40 proposes a tax on billionaires, while Propositions 41 and 42 aim to counter that measure. Proposition 3 addresses taxes on the state’s highest earners. The Justice Department issued subpoenas to California election officials and sued to block 20,000 ballots from being counted in the final two weeks of the campaign.