Early voting for Hamilton County’s Aug. 7 elections ended Saturday with a low turnout, election officials said. The last day of a two-week early voting period turned out 750 voters. A total of 8,059 ballots were cast in early voting.
“It was a very low turnout,” said Charlotte Mullis-Morgan, chief deputy election administrator for Hamilton County.
She said she expected the Aug. 7 voting to match the total early votes more or less. “That would be awful if we don’t,” she said. “We will have more, but it probably won’t go over 16,000 total.” She said the November elections will be much heavier.
“A presidential election, you know, it’s going to be unreal,” she said. Of the two-week period, Friday had the highest daily turnout with 31 general, 373 Democratic and 535 Republican ballots filled out. The lowest turnout day of the period was Saturday, July 26, when 280 votes were cast.
“We want everybody to vote,” Ms. Mullis-Morgan said. “We just hate it when there’s a low turnout. But we really expected a low turnout.”
Voters will decide a special election for Hamilton County sheriff and primaries for U.S. Senate and U.S. House. In four districts, voters also will cast ballots in Hamilton County Board of Education races, three of which are contested.
Tennessee Senate and House primaries are also on the ballot. State Rep. Jim Cobb, R-Spring City, is facing a challenge from former Rep. Jim Vincent, R-Soddy-Daisy.
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