en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en ru en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en id en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en ru en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en
Just four days into the early voting cycle local election officials are already seeing record-breaking turnout for the mid-term elections.
Turnout has been extremely high during the first four days of the early voting cycle when compared to the numbers from the 2014 mid-terms, according to Carter County Administrator of Elections Tracy Harris. During the first four days of early voting during the 2014 mid-term elections, 843 residents cast their ballots. When the polls closed on the fourth day of early voting this year, 2,934 voters had cast their ballots, more than three times the number from 2014.
Harris likened the early voting turnout for this election to that of the 2016 Presidential election. Traditionally, according to Harris, Presidential elections have the highest voter turnout rating. The first four days of this early voting cycle fell less than 70 voters shy of seeing the same turnout level as the 2016 Presidential election, which saw 3,002 voters casting ballots in the first four days.
With the number of voters heading to polls during early voting, Harris said this election is already breaking records as far as voter turnout, and she expects it will be an overall record-breaking election. In the 2014 mid-term elections the total turnout for Early Voting was 4,196. “We will break that, probably by Tuesday afternoon,” Harris said.
Early voting will continue through Nov. 1 at the Carter County Election Commission, located at 116 Holston Avenue, across from the Carter County Health Department. Polls are open from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. until Noon during the early voting period.
Harris reminds voters that they must bring their state of Tennessee or federal government issued photo identification with them in order to be allowed to vote.
Carter County voters will be casting ballots for representatives to the Tennessee General Assembly as well as Tennessee governor. On the federal side, voters will be choosing a new U.S. Senator as well as casting ballots for their member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Residents who live in the cities of Elizabethton, Watauga, and Johnson City will also be voting in a variety of city races.
Carter County residents of the 4th District – Courthouse, East Side, National Guard Armory, and Siam precincts – will be voting to fill an unexpired term on the Carter County Board of Education.
Election Day will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 6. Polls will be open that day from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.
During the early voting period, the Carter County Election Commission is an operating poll site under Tennessee State law and is subject to the boundary rule. Per state law, no campaign materials including signs, shirts, hats, campaign literature are permitted within 100 feet of a polling place. No campaigning, including vote solicitation, can take place inside the boundary and political candidates are prohibited from entering the boundary unless they have official business inside the Election Commission Office.
For more information on the Nov. 6 election, contact the Carter County Election Commission at 423-542-1822.