Midterm elections are today, and if early voting was any indication, turnout could be massive.
Generally, the midterms don’t draw a ton of excitement because the high-profile office of President isn’t on the ballot. For some reason, people don’t always get as pumped about voting for U.S. Congress, state legislative seats and local positions.
But this year has been an exception. Hamilton County Administrator of Elections Kerry Steelman said that between turnout in 2016 and this year’s early voting numbers, “the paradigm may have shifted.”
Here’s hoping Hamilton County will lose its spot at or near the bottom in the entire state for voter turnout.
By the numbers
🗳️27,727. This is the total number of Hamilton County residents who voted outside of Election Day during the last midterms in November 2014.
🗳️74,751. This is the total number of locals who voted outside of Election Day for the last presidential election in November 2016.
🗳️ 67,403. This is the total number in Hamilton County who have voted so far in this year’s midterms. This number is expected to increase because there are hundreds of absentee/military ballots that have yet to be counted.
🗳️143. This is the percent increase in Hamilton County’s early voting between the 2014 midterms and this year.
🗳️ 6: The number of counties that had a higher percent increase than that of Hamilton County between 2014 midterms and this election.
🗳️930. This is the number of poll workers working throughout Hamilton County.
🗳️1,378,840. This is the total number of Tennesseans who voted early.
Election Day voting info
Here’s what’s at stake: races for several key positions in the state + federal legislatures, including Governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives and seats in the state House and state Senate. In fact, all 99 seats in the state House are up in this election, as well as 18 of the 33 seats in the state Senate (those in odd-numbered districts).
Other races on the ballot include positions for the county’s smaller municipalities. You’ll only see these races on your ballot if you live inside one of these municipalities.
And if you live in the city of Chattanooga, you’ll also see one charter amendment on your ballot which will decide whether some language is altered that pertains to the city court.
Here’s everything you need to know before you head to the polls. 🗳
Dates + details
— Oct. 17: Early voting begins
— Oct. 30: Deadline to request an absentee ballot
— Nov. 1: Early voting ends
— Nov. 6: Election Day
Find your polling location + voting districts
During early voting, there are multiple sites in Hamilton County where people can vote. Click here for a list of early locations.
On Election Day you must vote at your specified precinct. If you aren’t sure where to vote but know that you’re registered, the Tennessee Secretary of State’s Election Division has an online tool that can help. 🔍
Once you provide some personal information, your voter registration will be verified with the state’s voter database, and the tool will supply you with personalized information about voting locations + times, your voting precinct, and the districts you are eligible to vote in.
If don’t find your information on the link, you’re likely not registered. If you encounter this problem, try contacting the Hamilton County Election Commission to verify whether you are registered here.
Early voting + absentee ballots
Absentee voting allows eligible voters to vote in advance of the actual Election Day, either in person or by mail.
Any registered voter is eligible to vote absentee in person (aka early voting) without giving a reason. Simply visit an early voting location during the early voting period from Oct. 17 through Nov. 1.
Only registered voters with valid reasons may vote absentee by mail. Typically, individuals who take advantage of voting by mail are elderly, ill or disabled, living overseas, active military, or full-time college students. But there are many reasons someone can vote by mail.
💡 4 lesser-known reasons you can vote mail
— You’re going to be out of town on Election Day AND all of the early voting period. ✈
— You take care of someone hospitalized, ill, or disabled.
— You’re scheduled for jury duty. 👩⚖️
— You are age 60 or older.
Here’s a full list of reasons a voter may qualify to absentee vote by mail.
Request an absentee ballot
In Hamilton County, the election commission provides on online form to apply for a ballot to be mailed to you. If you are registered to vote in another county in Tennessee, contact your local election commission.
The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot is Oct. 30. For the vote to be counted, the county election commission where you are registered must receive the ballot no later than the close of polls on Election Day.
⚠ Important: Once the election commission sends a voter an absentee-by-mail ballot, the voter can only vote by mail. ⚠
Voting + photo IDs
Before you go to the polls, don’t forget to bring proper photo identification.
The following are accepted IDs, even if they are expired:
— Tennessee driver license with your photo
— United States Passport
— Photo ID issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security
— Photo ID issued by the federal or Tennessee state government
— United States Military photo ID
— Tennessee handgun carry permit with your photo
⚠ Important: College IDs or any other IDs that are not issued by the federal or state government are not accepted. ⚠
More voting resources
Rides to the polls
Ridesharing services Lyft and Uber have announced they are offering discounted/free rides to the polls on Election Day.
Chattanooga Votes
The city of Chattanooga has launched a new initiative, called Chattanooga Votes, to encourage increased voter participation locally. Click here to learn more about the initiative and to join other Chattanoogans in pledging to vote. You can also share your story from when you first voted.
So what’s on the ballot? We run down everything you could see on your Hamilton County ballot this year below. ⬇
Federal Races
U.S. Senate
The upper chamber of the U.S. Congress, the Senate is comprised of 100 members, two per state serving six-year terms. Tennessee’s current Senators, both Republicans, are Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker. Because Corker chose not to seek re-election this year, his seat is open. The independent, non-partisan Cook Political Report rates the seat as a toss-up, and the outcome could decide which political party holds a majority going into the next session.
- Marsha Blackburn (R)
- Phil Bredesen (D)
- The ballot also includes Independent candidates Trudy A. Austin, John Carico, Dean Hill, Kevin Lee McCants, Breton Phillips, and Kris L. Todd.
U.S. House of Representatives
The lower chamber of the U.S. Congress, the House is comprised of 435 voting members, apportioned by state population. Tennessee has 9 representatives in Congress. The entirety of Hamilton County falls within Tennessee’s 3rd Congressional District. The independent, non-partisan Cook Political Report does not include the race on its ranking of competitive races.
- Chuck Fleischmann (R)
- Danielle Mitchell (D)
- Rick Tyler (I)
State Races
Tennessee Governor
As head of the executive branch, the governor is elected every four years and can serve a maximum of two consecutive terms. Tennessee’s current governor is Bill Haslam, a Republican. Because Haslam is term-limited, the seat is open. The independent, non-partisan Cook Political Report rates the seat as likely Republican.
- Bill Lee (R)
- Karl Dean (D)
- The ballot also includes Independent candidates Mark CoonRippy Brown, Sherry L. Clark, Justin Cornett, Gabriel Fancher, Sean Bruce Fleming, William Andrew Helmstetter, Cory King, Matthew Koch, Tommy Ray McAnally, Jessie D. McDonald, Toney Randall Mitchell, Yvonne Neubert, Alfred Shawn Rapoza, Chad Riden, Robert Sawyers Sr., Heather Scott, George Blackwell Smith IV, Jeremy Allen Stephenson, Tracy C. Yaste Tisdale, Mike Toews, Rick Tyler, Vinnie Vineyard, Jaron D. Weidner, Patrick Whitlock, Joe B. Wilmoth, and Mark Wright.
Tennessee Senate
The upper chamber of the Tennessee General Assembly, the Senate is comprised of 33 members serving four-year terms. Hamilton County is currently represented by state Sens. Todd Gardenhire (District 10) and Bo Watson (District 11), both Republicans.
District 11
- Bo Watson (R)
- Randall “Randy” Price (D)
Tennessee House
The lower chamber of the Tennesee General Assembly, the House is comprised of 99 voting members. Hamilton County is currently represented by state Reps. Gerald McCormick (District 26), Patsy Hazlewood (District 27), JoAnne Favors (District 28), Mike Carter (District 29), and Marc Gravitt (District 30). Because McCormick, Favors, and Gravitt chose not to seek reelection, their seats are open. In District 30, Independent candidate J. Michael Holloway has dropped out of the race and endorsed Democrat Joda Thongnopnua, though Holloway will still appear on the ballot.
District 26
- Robin Smith (R)
- Jean-Marie Lawrence (D)
District 27
- Patsy Hazlewood (R)
- Brent S. Morris (D)
District 28
District 29
- Mike Carter (R)
- Tammy Magouirk (D)
District 30
- Esther Helton (R)
- Joda Thongnopnua (D)
- J. Michael Holloway (I)
Municipal Races
City of Chattanooga
Charter Amendment
The city of Chattanooga current charter states that city court has the authority to hear criminal cases and municipal code violations (which are civil cases). But, since the city court has not heard criminal cases in more than 20 years, officials would like to simplify the city code by removing the existing language giving city court criminal jurisdiction. According to a summary of the proposed changes, the charter amendment allows “court costs to be established by ordinance” and “removes archaic language such as references to workhouses, justices of the peace, and constables, which no longer exist in Chattanooga…” Voting for the amendment approves these changes, while voting against leaves the charter as is.
- For the amendment
- Against the amendment
City of Collegedale
Commissioner
- Phil Garver
- Ethan White
City of East Ridge
Mayor
- Jim Bethune
- Brian W. Williams
City Council
- Jacky Cagle
- Mike Chauncey
- Jeff Ezell
- Robert E. (Bob) Gilreath Jr.
- Robert Jones
- Denny F. Manning
- Gregg Shipley
- Andrea (Aundie) Witt
Court Clerk
- Patricia E. Cassidy
- Wayne Thompson
City of Lakesite
Commissioner
- Valerie J. Boddy
- Ken Wilkerson
- Michelle Wilson
City of Red Bank
Commissioner At Large
- Ruth Jeno
- Jimmy Mathis
Commissioner, District 1
- Terry Pope
Commissioner, District 3
- Edward LeCompte
City of Ridgeside
Commissioner
- Darian Collins
- Kirk Walker
- Drue K. Zaharis
Town of Signal Mountain
Councilmembers
- Joe Durek
- Rob Hensley
- Dan Landrum
- Bill Lusk
- Dun Monroe
- Susannah R. Murdock
- Rick Saputa
City of Soddy Daisy
Commissioner
- Robert Cothran
- Bill Layne
- Rick Nunley
Town of Walden
Alderman
- Sarah A. McKenzie