Tuesday is election day across the state and the nation and already voters have set records in turnout.
On Friday, Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett announced the state had set a new record number for early voting.
Hargett said 1,675,679 people voted early or cast absentee ballots across the Volunteer State’s 95 counties from Oct. 19 through Nov. 3. That turnout easily beat the record set during the 2008 presidential election when 1,579,960 Tennesseans voted early in person or by mail.
“We also broke a record during the March 1 SEC (Presidential) Primary, and now we’ve broken another,” Hargett said. “2016 shows more Tennesseans are engaged and exercising their right to vote.”
With the early voting period now concluded, state and local officials are working to prepare for Tuesday.
“Now we focus on Election Day, Nov. 8, to ensure we continue to conduct fair and honest elections across our state,” Hargett said.
Here locally, officials with the Carter County Election Commission were working on Friday to prepare for a long day on Tuesday.
The Election Commission made the voting machines available for inspection by the public, candidates and party representatives on Friday morning. Election officials were also busy preparing voter books, checking supplies and getting signs and equipment ready to send to the precincts on Monday.
With record numbers showing up during early voting and the large number of first-time voters who registered before the October deadline, Carter County Administrator of Elections Tracy Harris is expecting to see a large turnout on Tuesday. Harris said she expects to see wait lines at every precinct but added lines will move quickly because the ballot is short.
“Four different precincts are getting an extra machine to help with the lines,” Harris said. Those precincts — Happy Valley, Central, Roan Mountain, and Hunter — typically have high turnout during elections.
Polls will be open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. on Election Day. Anyone who is in line at 8 p.m. when the polls close will be allowed to vote, Harris said. In order to vote, state law requires that a registered voter provide either a State of Tennessee or federal photo identification when they appear at the polls.
No precinct voting locations have changed Harris said. Voters who are unsure of what precinct they vote at can contact the Carter County Election Commission at 423-542-1822.
Smart phone users can download the GoVoteTN app, which is available for free for both Android and iPhones.
“If you haven’t voted, download or free GoVoteTN app so you know where to go and can view and mark the exact ballot you will see on Election Day,” Hargett said.
According to Hargett, the GoVoteTN app proves the easiest way for voters to find their polling locations, view and mark sample ballots, see their elected officials, districts and county election commission information as well as access online state and federal election results.
The following races and candidates will appear on the ballot on Election Day.
President and Vice President of the United States
• Donald J. Trump for President and Michael Pence for Vice President – Republican Party Nominee
• Hillary Clinton for President and Tim Kaine for Vice President – Democratic Party Nominee
• “Rocky” Roque De La Fuente for President and Michael Steinberg for Vice President – Independent Candidate
• Gary Johnson for President and William Weld for Vice President – Independent Candidate
• Alyson Kennedy for President and Osborne Hart for Vice President – Independent Candidate
• Mike Smith for President and Daniel White for Vice President – Independent Candidate
• Jill Stein for President and Ajamu Baraka for Vice President – Independent Candidate
U.S. House of Representatives 1st Congressional District
• Phil Roe – Republican Party Nominee
• Alan Bohms – Democratic Party Nominee
• Robert Franklin – Independent Candidate
Tennessee Senate 4th Senatorial District
• Jon Lundberg – Republican Party Nominee
Tennessee House of Representatives 3rd Representative District
• Timothy Hill – Republican Party Nominee
Tennessee House of Representatives 4th Representative District
• John Holsclaw Jr. – Republican Party Nominee
City of Elizabethton – City Council
Vote for 3 candidates
• Curt Alexander
• Kim Birchfield
• Robert “Bob” Cable Jr.
• Jenett Morgan
• Jeff Treadway
City of Elizabethton – City Judge
Vote for 1 candidate
• T.J. Little Jr.
• John Walton
City of Elizabethton – School Board
Vote for 3 candidates
• Rita Bullock Booher
• Jeannette Clark
• Phil Isaacs
• Grover May
City of Watauga – City Commissioner
Vote for 3 candidates
• Dennis Hicks
• R. Dale McCracken
• Timothy Scott Peer
City of Johnson City – City Commissioner
Vote for 3 candidates
• Todd Fowler
• William “Bud” Hill Jr.
• Clayton Stout
• Ralph VanBrocklin
• Joe Wise
City of Johnson City – School Board
Vote for 3 candidates
• Tim Belisle
• Jonathan Kinnick
• Ronald Scott
• Bill Smith
• Stacie Kilday Torbett