Nobody is ever sure how closely absentee voters match the views of the voters who actually trek into the polls, but here is the first wave of election returns released by the City of Los Angeles elections division about 45 minutes after the polls closed tonight.

In the four hottest races, top percentages (if no candidate gets 50% plus one vote, the top two face off against each other in May):

City Attorney, Michael Amerian 17.31%, David Berger 15.44%, Carmen Trutanich 21.30%, Noel Weiss 5.32%, Jack Weiss 40.63%

City Controller, Kathleen Suzy Evans 18.28%, Wendy Greuel 64.80%, Nick Patsaouras 16.92%

City Council District 5, Adeena Bleich 15.62%, Ron Galperin 12.85%, Paul Koretz 19.90%, Robert Schwartz 16.27%, Robyn Ritter Simon 15.74%, David Vahedi 19.62%

Solar Measure B, No 47.94%, Yes 52.06%  

Early surprise: Louis Pugliese, who had little special interest backing, is way ahead of Nury Martinez, who had the special interest money, in the LAUSD board race, 59.52% to 40.48%.

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