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Early voting ends on a high note

Justin Nofal fills out his ballot Wednesday, October 31, 2018 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Nofal, who is 40 years old, said Wednesday was his first time voting. He said he had no interest in voting in the past but felt like it was particularly important this election.
Justin Nofal fills out his ballot Wednesday, October 31, 2018 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Nofal, who is 40 years old, said Wednesday was his first time voting. He said he had no interest in voting in the past but felt like it was particularly important this election. Justin Nofal fills out his ballot Wednesday, October 31, 2018 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Nofal, who is 40 years old, said Wednesday was his first time voting. He said he had no interest in voting in the past but felt like it was particularly important this election.

By Staff Reports 3 min read

A heavy turnout in Tennessee and Hamilton County bore out what local elections officials predicted would be a “presidential-level” early voting period.

State elections officials were still counting votes at 9 p.m. but said more than 46,000 people had voted statewide on Thursday, with nearly 1.3 million weighing in during the early voting period in total.

In the 2016 presidential election, 1.6 million voted early or by absentee ballot, according to the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office.

In Hamilton County, 67,403 voted early. Turnout was more than double the 2014 midterm elections and came close to hitting the 74,751 early ballots cast in the 2016 presidential election.

Although President Donald Trump is not on the ballot, some state and national campaigns have been seen as a referendum on his presidency and the nation’s direction.