Early voting ends on Saturday

CLAY COUNTY-With Election Day looming just over a week away on Thursday, August 1 and early voting ending this weekend, the local election cycle is quickly coming to a close.

When polls opened here at the Celina Fire Department to start the week, early voting totals were up close to 15% from what they were four years ago at the same time.

The Tennessee Secretary of State (SOS) published an online report comparing the numbers of 2020 to the current totals, which showed turnout here had increased by 14.38% as of last Saturday.

A total of 299 Clay Countians voted through the first eight days of early voting four years ago, while 43 more voters had gone to the polls in 2024 to make up a total of 342.

The SOS numbers also revealed the uptick in turnout here ranked Clay County fifth statewide in regards to the increase in the number of early voters casting ballots compared to 2020, behind only Bledsoe, Gibson, Campbell, and Lincoln counties.

Clay County also made the Top 10 list for overall turnout by county and ranked 10th heading into this week.

Of the 342 ballots cast here, 256 of them were in the Republican Primary and 61 were in the Democratic Primary.

The most votes (85) were cast when early voting polls opened on July 12, and the lowest total (13) came last Saturday.

The numbers, which are reported daily by counties, include in-person early voters, absentee by-mail ballots submitted by voters, and voters at licensed facilities.

Early voting continues here through Saturday, July 27 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 12 noon on the final day.

Prior to next Thursday’s Election Day, the public will again have the chance to review a sample ballot published inside the July 31 edition of the HORIZON courtesy of election administrator Monica Davis and the Clay County Election Commission.

A notice of Election Day polling places throughout the county appears in this week’s newspaper on page 2 and below.

Local ballot

The ballot features a total of eight local candidates running for various offices, along with a long list of primary candidates vying for United States Senate, 6th District U.S. Representative, 12th District State Senate, 38th District State Representative, and party State Executive Commiteemen and Committeewomen seats.

Locally, Assessor of Property and County Trustee make up the countywide seats on the ballot, while one County Commission seat and four School Board spots are up for grabs.

Incumbents make up nearly all of the local field, as seven of the eight candidates are current office holders and six of those are guaranteed to retain their seats due to no opposition.

Countywide

Only one local incumbent will see a challenger, and that race is for the unexpired term of late Clay County County Trustee Charlie Key.

Angie Thompson was appointed to succeed Key upon his death, and she will be opposed by James “Tater” Johnson.

Like Thompson, incumbent Clay County Assessor of Property Angie Eads, is running for re-election—but she is guaranteed to retain her seat due to no opposition.

Commission,

school board

Also unopposed, will be the race to fulfill the unexpired term of former District 5 Clay County Commissioner Michael Miller.

Incumbent Elizabeth Boles will remain on the commission, after being appointed previously to fill the seat and due to having no challenger.

District 1 and District 4 Clay County School Board races will follow the same path, with incumbents retaining their seats due to a lack of opposition.

Mark Ashlock and Nick Melton will see no challengers in the 1st District, while 4th District school board members Benjamin Bailey and Vonda Weir will follow suit running unopposed.

Also appearing on the local ballot will be a one-man race for 13th Judicial District Judge Part III, a position currently held by Shawn C. Fry.

Primaries

In the August primary elections, voters will have a choice between a Democratic and Republican ballot.

The Democratic primary will feature two contested races.

Marquita Bradshaw, Lola Denise Brown, Gloria Johnson, and Civil Miller-Watkins will battle it out to become the U.S. Senate nominee, while Lore Bergman, Clay Faircloth, and Cyril Focht will vie to win the nomination for District 6 U.S. House.

Those running unopposed in the Democratic primary include Clay County native Carol V. Abney for District 12 State Executive Committeewoman, Robert M. Young for District 12 State Executive Committeeman, and Curtis Kelly for District 12 State Senate.

No candidate qualified for the 38th District State Representative Democratic nomination.

The Republican primary mirrors the Democratic Party’s ballot when it comes to the number of contested races.

The two nominations where challengers will be present include U.S. Senate and District 12 State Senate.

Incumbent U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn will see opposition from Tres Wittum, while current District 12 State Senator Ken Yager will be challenged by Teena Hedrick.

6th District U.S. Senator John Rose, 38th District State Representative Kelly Keisling, and 12th District State Executive Committeewoman Ann Ayers-Colvin are all running unopposed.

ID required

Tennesseans voting early or on Election Day need to bring valid photo identification to the polls.

A driver’s license or photo ID issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Tennessee state government or the federal government is acceptable, even if it is expired.

Student IDs and out of state driver’s license are not acceptable.  More information about what types of IDs are permitted is available on GoVoteTN.gov.

Those unable to vote by personal appearance either early or on election day have until this Thursday, July 25 to request an absentee ballot.

Voters on the permanent absentee list will automatically receive an application by mail.

For more information about the upcoming election, contact Davis at the local election office by calling 931-243-2536.

**Click the link below to view Election Day polling places and more information.