Early voting for the Nov. 8 general election is now underway. Secretary of State Tre Hargett and Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins are encouraging Tennesseans to take advantage of this opportunity to avoid lines on Election Day. Voting will continue Mondays through Saturdays and end Thursday, Nov. 3.

Voters in Carter County can vote early at the County Election Commission Office at 116 Holston Ave. The hours for early voting are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 12 noon Saturday.

Early voting comes after a very successful National Voter Registration Month where more than 7,000 students from 47 colleges and universities registered as a part of the “I’m registered. Are you?” campaign in September. This is an increase of over 3,000 forms from 2015.

“Tennesseans have broken records this election cycle and Nov. 8 will be an incredibly busy day across this state and nation,” said Secretary of State Tre Hargett. “Early voting offers voters a convenient opportunity to cast their ballots instead of waiting until Election Day.”

The big race on the Nov. 8 ballot is the presidential race, of course. Besides Trump and Clinton, you can pick Libertarian Gary Johnson, Green Party nominee Jill Stein or lesser known candidates “rocky” Roque De La Fuente, Alyson Kennedy or Mike Smith.

In the First Congressional District Race, Rep. Phil Roe is being challenged by Alan Bohms, Democrat, and Independent candidate Robert D. Frankin.

Jon Lundberg is unchallenged for the Tennessee 4th Senatorial District seat long held by Sen. Ron Ramsey who chose not to seek re-election this year. Also, John B. Holsclaw, Jr. is unopposed in the Fourth District Tennessee House Race. Rep. Timothy Hill is being challenged by Democrat Gary Kawuha for the Tennessee 3rd District House seat.

All of the House seats in the Tennessee General Assembly and half of the 33 states Senate seats are up for election this year. On the local ballot is the Elizabethton municipal election to fill three City Council seats, three school board slots, and City Judge, in which incumbent T.J. Little is being challenged by former Sessions Court Judge John Walton.

City Council candidates include incumbents Curt Alexander, Robert W.”Bob” Cable and Jeff Treadway. They are being challenged by Kim Birchfield and Jenett Morgan.

School board candidates are Rita Bullock Booher, Jeannette G.M. Clark, Phil Isaacs, and Grover E. May.

Voters must be U.S. citizens, be registered to vote and show photo identification. Acceptable IDs include a Tennessee driver’s license, passport, military ID, handgun carry permit or photo issued by the federal or state government, including the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security.

College IDs, library cards and photo IDs issued by other states are not acceptable.

For questions about early voting, voters can call the Carter County Election Commission Office at 542-1822.