San Diego County supervisor special election: South Bay voters head to the polls

• Unless one candidate breaks 50% of the vote, the top two candidates will advance to a July runoff election.
• With the vacancy, the five-member board is stuck at a 2-2 partisan stalemate, leaving some to argue the county should delay adopting a budget until the seat is filled.

State of play: Chula Vista Mayor John McCann is the lone, high-profile Republican in the race, leading to conventional wisdom that he's likely to advance through the primary.

• Outside groups have spent millions of dollars for and against Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre and San Diego Councilmember Vivian Moreno, both Democrats, vying for the other spot in the runoff.
• Chula Vista Councilmember Carolina Chavez, another Democrat, is also in the race.

• Energy consultant Elizabeth Efird, small business owner Louis Fuentes and frequent Republican candidate Lincoln Pickard are also running.

What we're watching: When Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe was elected in a 2023 special, the outcome was clear on election night in both the primary and runoff.

• Unless the race is extremely tight, candidates are likely to declare victory or concede as well before the Registrar's May 8 deadline to certify the results.
• Votes mailed by Tuesday will count as long as they're received by April 15. Thirteen vote centers are open across the district.