7:30 p.m.

Happy Election Night folks! Our election night pizza has arrived (thanks D'Andrea's) and we are ready to give you some live coverage.

We'll have reporters Lucian McCarty and Suzanna Lourie live-blogging the city's Democratic and Republican election night parties tonight and Michael Cignoli and I will be blogging from the office, updating results from across the county as they come in. Be sure to check back often.

It could be a big night for city politics -- any predictions for tonight's races?

Our southern Saratoga County team -- Community News reporter Glenn Griffith and photographer Lauren Carpenter -- are out covering races for town supervisor and town council in Clifton Park and Halfmoon.

Lauren reports from Clifton Park Town Hall:
A woman working the polls says there has been a steady stream of voters all day without a lull. Republicans are gathering at the Vista restaurant to await returns.

It's been a pretty uneventful day of voting in Saratoga County, not quite as exciting as some other local municipalities.

In Melrose, a town board candidate helped delivery a baby at a polling place after he cast his vote. (TU)

At Schenectady High School, the school day and voting were disrupted when a student reported that a classmate had two grenades (they turned out not be live) and a fire broke out in a bathroom.

Here in Saratoga we were with Mayor Scott Johnson and challenger Brent Wilkes when they cast their votes this morning.(Photos by Erica Miller)

Reporters are heading out in about a half hour, check back here for more updates or follow them on twitter @MCSaratogian @SuzannaKLourie @SaratogianCDesk and @TogianPhotog

— Emily Donohue

GOP 8:20 p.m.
Well it's here again folks. Time to choose your elected officials. At this point most people should have voted and according to reports one Republican heard it will be a good year for voter turnout.
Finance Commissioner Kenneth Ivins Jr. said he heard it may be as high as 50 percent-- something he believes will help the Republicans.

GOP 8:25 p.m.
Jim Tedisco just entered the room carrying a Mayor Johnson sign on a six-foot pole. Things are getting rolling.

GOP/DEM 8:33 p.m.
The stark contrast between the size of the ballroom in the Holiday Inn-- GOP headquarters-- and the size of the ballroom at the Inn at Saratoga-- Dem headquarters-- illustrates the hill the Democrats have to climb to win. Small "C" conservatives in the city outnumber liberals by a couple thousand registered voters. I heard Brent Wilkes on one of the news channels saying a good turnout would benefit him and the other Dems. We'll see.

DEM 8:45
It's Linda Wilkes in the bow-tie tonight. The candidate's wife was wearing gold bow tie at the Democratic headquarters.
If you have noticed Brent Wilkes sans the trademark bow tie lately its no mistake. Brent said a couple of weeks ago at a campaign speech that political research and polls show people have a generally negative first impression of anyone they see with a bow tie. "After the first impression it doesn't matter," he said. But that first impression is obviously an important one in politics. "After I'm elected I'll wear it again."

GOP 8:53
The room is slowly filling with politicians and supporters alike. The bar is working with two tenders and dishing out drinks as fast as they can. Meanwhile tech-savvy GOP members are setting up for poll closing with a projector to post results.

GOP 9 p.m.
And pens down! Polls are closed.
Also, according to GOP chair Jasper Nolan, Skidmore, district 24, had 40 votes as of a few hours ago. "I talked to them around 3 and they had 9 votes cast. They only come out for the national elections."

DEM 9 p.m.

Aaaaand the waiting begins!

DEM 9:18 p.m.

"M-A-D-I-G-A-N, that spells Madigan, Madigan," a spontaneous song erupts in support of Michele Madigan, up for Commissioner of Finance.

The room is filling up quick. Wilkes, staying true to his open government policy, is mingling, answering questions and enjoying himself despite being "a little bit anxious."