More than 60% of California's eligible voters went to the polls

The total includes all qualified citizens, including those who had not registered to vote. The percentage of registered voters who cast ballots statewide was 80.6% -- 81.9% in Los Angeles County.

The state's 58 counties were required to finish counting ballots Tuesday, and the results put to rest a few close races, showing that Tony Strickland defeated Hannah Beth Jackson in the 19th Senate District and Tom McClintock beat Charlie Brown in the 4th Congressional District.

Proposition 11, the statewide redistricting measure, passed by a narrow margin, though a few small counties were still tallying ballots into the evening.

And the Beverly Hilton narrowly won approval from Beverly Hills voters to expand its complex with a Waldorf-Astoria hotel and two luxury condo towers, although opponents contend that the drawn-out vote was tainted by irregularities and have vowed to continue their battle in court.

The Los Angeles County Registrar's office spent weeks counting provisional and absentee ballots that ended up swinging the results in favor of the Hilton's proposal by a 129-vote margin. The final tally was 7,972 votes in favor, or 50.41%, and 7,843 votes opposed, 49.59%.

"That's because they were counting questionable provisional ballots, including a number we challenged," said Larry Larson, treasurer of the Citizens Right to Decide Committee, which opposed the measure.

Marie Garvey, a Beverly Hilton spokeswoman, said: "We have full faith in the county's process." She said that the Hilton planned to begin construction on the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in 2009 and that the aim is to "develop a world-class project worthy of Beverly Hills."

The high turnout in Los Angeles County, not seen since 1968, was a result of several factors, including strong voter interest in the presidential race between Barack Obama and John McCain, according to Dean Logan, the county's Registrar-Recorder.

"It was the combination of an election that has historic significance to both major parties' tickets, the economic situation and the fact that there was no sitting president or vice president on the ballot," Logan said.