Chattanooga: Democrats swarm election commission at start of early voting
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Staff Photo by Margaret Fenton
Dr. Sushie Pentiah was among the 170 people who voted in the first hour of early voting at the Hamilton County Election Commission, today, following a camp out hosted by Chattanoogans for Obama '08.
More than 50 Democrats swarmed the Hamilton County Election Commission office today at the start of Tennessee’s 15-day early voting period.
About 20 people camped out Tuesday night in front of the River Terminal Road commission offices so they would be the first people in line to vote when the offices opened at 8 a.m. Four stayed overnight.
“This is our chance to change the direction for the country,” said Justin Wilkins, the local volunteer coordinator for the local campaign of Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.
The mass voting was organized by the Obama campaign and the Hamilton County Democratic Party.
“I’ve never seen such excitement and involvement in the political process as I have seen this year,” said local party chairman John Bailes. “These campers want to be the first to vote and change the country.”
Jan Powell, an Obama supporter, said she was excited to be out voting on a chilly Wednesday morning.
“I just want to go ahead and cast my vote for change,” she said.
But Obama supporters weren’t the only ones voting in the first minutes of early voting.
Teresa St. Clair came out to vote for U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
“We want a man with morals and integrity,” she said.
Early voting ends Oct. 30, and Election Day is Nov. 4. The new president will be inaugurated Jan. 20, 2009. Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Barack Obama, D-Ill., are in a tight race for the White House.
Local voters also will find the following races on the ballot: One U.S. Senate seat from Tennessee, the 3rd Congressional District, Tennessee State Senate District 10, Tennessee House of Representatives Districts 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30; the District 4 school board special election as well as municipal elections in East Ridge, Lakesite, Red Bank, Signal Mountain, Soddy-Daisy and Walden.
WHERE TO VOTE EARLY
Hamilton County Election Commission
700 Terminal Road
8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday
9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday
Brainerd Recreation Center
1010 N. Moore Road
10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday-Saturday
Northgate Mall, near Piccadilly restaurant
271 Northgate Mall, Chattanooga
10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday-Saturday
ON THE WEB
For more details on voting in Hamilton County, visit elect.hamiltontn.gov.
