SAN FRANCISCO - Election Central for the Bay Area was the Westin St. Francis Hotel Tuesday night when a large crowd, ostensibly waiting for the results of the much anticipated Prop. 8, broke out in sustained thunderous applause at 8 p.m. PT when CNN announced that Barack Obama had surpassed the needed 270 electoral votes to win the presidency.

With Golden State polls just closing, observers were saying it could be late into Tuesday or perhaps early Wednesday before the fate of the ballot measure, which if passed would ban gay marriage in California, would be known.

Meanwhile both factions - the Yes on 8 side and the No on 8 side -- fought down to the wire Tuesday, trading political punches in an effort to win over those last-minute voters who had not yet made up their minds on the controversial issue.

Officials did confirm that Prop. 8 set a new spending record on a social issue ballot measure. As of late Tuesday afternoon Secretary of State records showed that a total of more than $67 million had donated from both sides.