NORTH COUNTY -- It is decision day in the Special Election to replace former 50th District Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham, who now sits in a North Carolina prison after pleading guilty last year to bribery and tax evasion.

At stake today is Cunningham's unexpired term, which runs through December. If one candidate receives more than half of the votes today, that winner will fill out the term.

More than 60,000 district voters will skip going to polls, having already made their choice among the 18 candidates by filing absentee ballots that will be counted immediately after the polls close.

San Diego County Registrar of Voters Mikel Haas said Monday that those ballots, already at the county's offices in Kearny Mesa, are among more than 111,000 absentee ballots issued for the election.

Haas declined to predict the expected overall turnout in the district, which encompasses much of North County and portions of the city of San Diego and has 353,551 registered voters.

"It's anybody's guess," Haas said. "We are expecting a busy day at the polls."

Voting opens at 7 a.m. and remains open until 8 p.m. at 441 polling places.

The first count of ballots cast at precinct polling places is expected by about 9:30 p.m., with regular updates thereafter. Haas said about 90 percent of the vote should be counted by about 11:30 p.m. See the North County Times Web site at nctimes.com for the latest election figures.

If no one receives more than half the overall vote, the top vote-getter from each party moves on to an election on June 6, when a winner will be chosen.

June 6 is also the day of the primary for the 2006-08 term for the congressional seat that Cunningham held for 13 years.

Three candidates -- Democrat Francine Busby and Republicans Eric Roach and Brian Bilbray -- are leading the race, according to a poll released Monday by El Cajon-based polling firm Datamar, Inc.

The 64-year-old Cunningham was sentenced in January to a little more than eight years in prison after admitting that he accepted at least $2.4 million from defense contractors in exchange for steering them Pentagon work.

Running to replace him are 14 Republicans, two Democrats, one Libertarian and one independent.

The county was forced to spend about $1.5 million to conduct today's election. A bill now before the state Legislature seeks an appropriation to reimburse the county for its costs.

Contact staff writer Mark Walker at (760) 740-3529 or mlwalker@nctimes.com. To comment, go to nctimes.com.

Today is Election Day

After more than four months without a representative in Washington, voters in the 50th Congressional District will begin choosing a replacement today for former U.S. Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham.

Eighteen candidates are in the running, including 14 Republicans, two Democrats, a Libertarian and an independent. The winner will represent a large swath of North County, including parts of Escondido, San Marcos, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Del Mar and Rancho Santa Fe.

The polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.

To find a polling place or for more information about voting, visit www.sdvote.com or call the county registrar of voters office at (800) 696-0136.