WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Candidates will make a final push today as voters from Wards 4 and 7 decide who among a pool of 35 hopefuls should fill out the council seats vacated by Mayor Adrian Fenty and Council Chairman Vincent Gray.

Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Board of Elections and Ethics spokesman Bill O’Field said.

Turnout could be high, largely as a result of the sheer number of candidates — 18 in Ward 4 and 17 in Ward 7. Several candidates made headlines for raising record amounts of cash for their campaigns.

“We always plan for 100 percent turnout, meaning we have fully staffed the precincts with poll workers,” O’Field said. “We’re ready to go.”

Voters in Wards 3 and 4 also are expected to choose between seven candidates to serve out Victor Reinoso’s term on the Board of Election. That race has been largely overshadowed by the Council race, in part because Mayor Adrian Fenty’s school takeover legislation, which passed last month, removes powers of the school board to set policy.

Reinoso left his seat earlier this year when Fenty picked him to serve as his deputy mayor for education. Another special election to fill the school board seat vacated when District 1 representative Jeff Smith resigned last month is scheduled Aug. 21.

cmabeus@dcexaminer.com