OnlineSee a list of candidates and proposed amendments at timesfreepress.com/voterguide2014
Vote earlyEarly voting runs today through Oct. 30, and residents can choose from four polling locations:• Brainerd Recreation Center, 1010 North Moore Road: 10 a.m to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday.• Hamilton County Election Commission, 700 River Terminal Road: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday.• Northgate Mall, former Golf Shop across from T.J. Maxx: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday.• Eastwood Church, 4300 Ooltewah-Ringgold Road: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
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Polls open across Tennessee today for early voting in the Nov. 4 election, and local election officials and party chiefs are urging residents to get out and cast their ballots.
Hamilton County Election Administrator Kerry Steelman said Tuesday his staff has been working hard to make early voting as simple and convenient as possible. He noted voters will decide many important issues in addition to races for federal, state and municipal offices.
"Voting is one of the most basic, fundamental constitutional rights we have in this country. The Nov. 4 election is a great opportunity to exercise this right as Tennesseans head to the polls to consider, among other contests, four amendments to the state constitution," Steelman said.
Tony Sanders, who leads the local GOP, said Republicans should not get complacent during the general election. The party is fighting for position across the state, he said.
Republican U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann is defending his seat against Democratic challenger Mary Headrick, a physician from Maynardville.
And incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander is facing Democrat Gordon Ball, a Knoxville lawyer.
Patsy Hazlewood is seeking to keep State House District 27 in Republican control, after Rep. Richard Floyd retired. She is facing Democrat Eric Mcroy for the post.
Also on the ballot are the Tennessee governor's race, which Gov. Bill Haslam is expected to win handily, and a host of municipal elections across Hamilton County.
"We definitely hope the Republican base gets out and supports our Republican candidates -- all of them. We want to send a clear message that yes, it does matter who governs. And we think the Republicans are doing a good job," Sanders said.
But county Democratic Party Chairman Terry Lee said he's not so sure about the success of GOP leadership. He said many important issues, such as the expansion of Medicaid and construction of the Chickamauga Lock, have gone unfinished for too long.
"There are so many things that are not Democrat or Republican issues. They are necessities that need to be taken care of," Lee said. "We've just got so many problems, and we are seeing so few results on the national and state level."
Lee said he expects voting will be driven by the four proposed constitutional amendments, which cover issues including abortion regulation, judicial retention, payroll taxes and lotteries to benefit nonprofit organizations.
He expects Amendment 1, which would allow state lawmakers to regulate abortion, will be the big driver.
A clause in the proposed amendment that allows the General Assembly to regulate abortion, "including, but not limited to, circumstances of pregnancy resulting from rape or incest or when necessary to save the life of the mother" is driving away some would-be supporters, he said.
"A lot of our people who are pro-life, anti-abortion are not supporting that amendment just because of the language in there," he said.
Despite their differences, Lee and Sanders both say they want as many of the county's voters as possible to come out.
"We want people to get out and voice their opinions -- no matter what their opinions are. We just need to see more people turning out. We've got 25 percent of the people deciding things for all of us," Sanders said.
Contact staff writer Louie Brogdon at lbrogdon@timesfreepress.com, @glbrogdoniv on Twitter or at 423-757-6481.