Sample ballot can be viewed below

CLAY COUNTY-Election Day for the August 1 General Election and State and Federal Primaries is Thursday, and a sample ballot is published below for public review courtesy of election administrator Monica Davis and the Clay County Election Commission.

Early voting ended over the weekend with a substantial increase in turnout compared to four years ago, which may be an indication polls will be busy this week.

When the last early ballots were cast here at the Celina Fire Department on Saturday, totals were up 22.95% from what they were in 2020.

The Tennessee Secretary of State (SOS) published an online report comparing the numbers, which showed a total of 536 Clay Countians voted early four years ago, while 123 more voters have already gone to the polls in 2024 to make up a total of 659.

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

Of the 659 ballots cast here, 491 of them were in the Republican Primary and 113 were in the Democratic Primary.

The numbers include in-person early voters, absentee by-mail ballots submitted by voters, and voters at licensed facilities.

Local ballot

Locally, only one local incumbent has 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 is 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, is 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 follow the same path, with incumbents retaining their seats due to a lack of opposition.

Mark Ashlock and Nick Melton have 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 is 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 also have a choice between a Democratic and Republican ballot.

The Democratic primary features two contested races.

Marquita Bradshaw, Lola Denise Brown, Gloria Johnson, and Civil Miller-Watkins are battling it out to become the U.S. Senate nominee, while Lore Bergman, Clay Faircloth, and Cyril Focht are vying 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 are present include U.S. Senate and District 12 State Senate.

Incumbent U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn has opposition from Tres Wittum, while current District 12 State Senator Ken Yager is being 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.

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

**Click the link below to view the Sample Ballot or the button to download the file.