Tre Hargett
A record number of Tennessee voters cast ballots early this year, but the number of early votes appeared to be down in Anderson County and possibly Roane County.
As of Wednesday, 223,281 Tennesseans had either voted early or mailed in absentee ballots for the Aug. 2 election, Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett announced Thursday.
That’s up from 206,174 during the entire early voting period in August 2008, Hargett said. There were 11,267 people who mailed in absentee ballots in that election.
“Early voting numbers for comparable elections hit an all-time high—with three days to spare,” Hargett said.
Anderson County Election Commission Chief Deputy Cathy Nance said early voting started off higher this year than in 2010 but seemed to drop off each day this week.
As of Thursday, 5,289 residents had voted early in Anderson County this year, compared to 6,569 two years ago.
Meanwhile, 5,125 residents had voted early in Roane County total through 3:20 p.m. Friday, said Holly Cromwell, Roane County Election Commission assistant administrator. That compares to a total of 5,800 two years ago.
However, she pointed out there were still a few more hours to vote, through 6 p.m. Friday and again from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday.
Hargett said it is important to compare elections with the same races on the ballot when comparing voter turnout statistics.
For example, the November presidential election is expected to have substantially higher turnout, he said. Also, August elections held during presidential off-years, which include higher profile races for county mayor and sheriff, tend to have higher turnouts than August county elections during presidential years.
There are two special elections in Anderson County, one for county mayor and the other for a three-month term on Oak Ridge City Council.
Hargett reminded voters to bring a state- or federally-issued photo identification to vote.
He said voters who do not present a state- or federally-issued photo ID at the polls will not be turned away but will receive a provisional ballot. However, those voters will need to return to the election commission office within two business days after the election and present a state- or federally-issued photo ID in order for the provisional ballot to be counted.
Hargett said acceptable forms of ID include, whether current or expired, driver’s licenses, U.S. passports, Department of Safety photo ID cards, U.S. military photo IDs, and other state or federal government photo ID cards.
College student IDs are not acceptable and neither are city or county identifications, Hargett said.
There are three early voting locations in Anderson County, one in Oak Ridge, a second in Clinton, and a third in Andersonville.
The Oak Ridge voting station is at the Midtown Community Center at 102 Robertsville Road.
The Clinton station is at the Clinton Community Center at 101 Hicks St.
The third is at the North Anderson County Government Center on Andersonville Highway at Andersonville Crossing.
Those booths have been open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday.
In Roane County, polling locations are the Election Commission Office in the Kingston Courthouse, the Harriman Community Center, and First Christian Church on Gum Hollow Road in Oak Ridge.
The Roane County voting booths have been open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday.
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