Early voting for the August 4 election kicks off today and election officials are expecting to see a good turnout.
“It’s a short ballot, so it shouldn’t take long,” Carter County Administrator of Elections Tracy Harris said of the August 4 ballot.
The election will serve as the county’s general election for several positions but also as Republican and Democrat primary election for state positions and federal positions other than the Presidency. The ballot will also feature retention elections for the judges serving on the Tennessee Supreme Court and Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals
Early voting for this election will be held from today, Friday, July 15, through Saturday, July 30, at the Carter County Election Commission Office located at 116 Holston Avenue. The polls will be open for early voting from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Monday through Friday and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. until Noon during the early voting period.
Harris said she recommends early voting for anyone who may be planning to be out of town on Election Day, those who have busy work schedules and many others.
“It’s perfect for the elderly and those who may have disabilities because they won’t have to wait in line as long as on Election Day,” she said.
Residents who are age 60 and over can also request a mail in ballot, Harris said. The request forms for a mail in ballot can be picked up and returned in person or picked up by a friend or relative, but Harris said the ballot must be sent through the mail to the voter and the voter must then mail it back to the Election Commission.
“It has to go through the mail,” Harris said, adding the ballot must be post marked by August 4 in order to be eligible to be counted.
Parking is available at the Election Commission Office, but if the lot at the office is full, Harris asks that voters use the overflow parking in the parking lot of First Baptist Church on the corner of East G Street and Holston Avenue.
“Please do not park at the Carter County Health Department,” Harris said.
Local seats on the ballot for the August 4 election are as follows:
Carter County
• Assessor of Property —one candidate: Ronnie Taylor.
• County Commissioner District 1 unexpired term — one candidate: Robert Acuff.
• County Commissioner District 3 unexpired term — one candidate: Bradley Johnson.
• County Commissioner District 8 unexpired term — two candidates: Kelly Collins and Rick Richardson.
• Constable District 7 unexpired term — one candidate: Ken Potter.
• Circuit Court Judge 1st Judicial District unexpired term — one candidate: James Lauderback.
• Carter County School Board Member District 1 — two candidates: Noel Church and Craig Davis.
• Carter County School Board Member District 4 — one candidate: Rusty Barnett.
• Carter County School Board Member District 6 — three candidates: Steve Chambers, Kelly Crain and Jesse James.
• Carter County School Board Member District 8 — one candidate: Jerry Stout.
City of Johnson City
• Juvenile Court Clerk — two candidates: Suzan Sell Mitchell and Jared D. Taylor.
Republican Primary:
• U.S. House of Representatives 1st Congressional District — two candidates: Phil Roe and Clint Tribble. Earlier this month Tribble announced he was suspending his campaign and withdrawing from the race but the deadline to withdraw had already passed so his name will still appear on the ballot.
• Tennessee Senate 4th Senatorial District — four candidates: John Paul Blevins, Neal Kerney, Jon Lundberg, and Tony Shipley.
• Tennessee House of Representatives 3rd Representative District — one candidate: Timothy Hill.
• Tennessee House of Representatives 4th Representative District — two candidates: John B. Holsclaw Jr. and Tim Lingerfelt.
• State Executive Committeeman District 4 — two candidates: Matthew Jerry Johnson and Jack Young.
Democratic Primary:
• U.S. House of Representatives 1st congressional District — one candidate: Alan Bohms.
• Tennessee Senate 4th Senatorial District — no candidate filed.
• Tennessee House of Representatives 3rd Representative District — no candidate filed.
• Tennessee House of Representatives 4th Representative District — no candidate filed.
The Carter County Election Commission office is located at 116 Holston Ave., Elizabethton. For more information on the meeting, upcoming elections or voter registration questions, contact the office at 423-542-1822 or by email to elections@cartercountytn.gov.