The third step in the redistricting process is nearly complete. It was necessary to make some adjustment to the precinct lines that were approved in November as Tennessee law does not allow a precinct line to cross a Senate District. The Governor has not yet signed the redistricting legislation so this map is not yet official. If you want to see the proposed precincts, click here.
Step 2 in the redistricting process has been completed. After the county commission drew the commission district lines, the Election Commission could begin our work. We needed to review the precinct lines as we had some precincts that were too large, some that were too small, and many that needed the dividing lines reviewed.
Following each Census, each legislative body in Tennessee must redraw their districts so that each district has roughly the same population. This process is generally referred to as Redistricting.
The Election Commission plays no role in drawing the new district lines. Drawing the lines is strictly the responsibility of the Legislature, County Commission, and City Councils. Once those bodies have determined where their lines are, the Election Commission takes over and adjusts precinct lines as needed and notifies voters whose precincts have changed.
The Election Commission is considered an essential service, so we are able to issue and accept petitions at both locations. However, we urge citizens who do not need to file petitions to stay home and use our online services at GoVoteTN.com. In order to make sure that our employees stay safe, we have cut our staffing to the minimum.
Election Day is Tuesday, March 3, 2020. The polls will be open from 7am until 7pm. On Election Day, unlike early voting, you must vote in your home precinct.
Please be aware all the candidates listed on your ballot are not still in the race for president. In Tennessee, the ballot was set in December, so anyone who had declared candidacy was included.
On February 14th, County Mayor Lee Harris, along with other local dignitaries, gathered on Nixon Drive for a special occasion. The Ops Center is now known as the O.C. Pleasant Operations Center, in honor of the longest serving commissioner in the Election Commission’s history, O.C. Pleasant, Jr.
Due to the overwhelming number of registration applications we received right before the voter registration deadline, processing on some of the applications have not been fully completed. If you registered to vote and have not gotten a voter registration card or a notice, you will be able to vote, as long as you are not a convicted felon.
We STRONGLY urge you to VOTE EARLY. Our poll workers are ready to help you with correcting any errors on your application and completing your registration, and you can go to a machine to vote.
With the Midterm Elections upon us, we are in full-on election mode. The ballot is being finalized and will be approved at the Commission Meeting on September 18th.
We’ve had some questions from voters who aren’t able to see the whole ballot on their summary screens. If you selected a primary ballot or chose the large type option, the ballot summary will be too long to fit on one screen. It’s something many people have experienced.
The county primaries are behind us and the election results were certified on May 15th. After that, we began working to put things in order in anticipation of the August County General and State Primary Elections. The military and overseas ballots went out on June 18th. As I said in the last newsletter, that’s the official beginning of the election cycle. In this issue, you will see more about what is involved in preparing for the polls to open. It involves a lot more than most people realize.