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Pace ‘steady’ on first day of early voting [photos]

Lynn Seeger of Red Bank, Tennessee, picks out a spot to sit down a fill out her ballot at the Hamilton County Election Commission Friday, July 13, 2018 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Seeger said that she will be out of town for election day, so she wanted to go early to make sure she voted during the early voting time. Lynn Seeger of Red Bank, Tennessee, picks out a spot to sit down a fill out her ballot at the Hamilton County Election Commission Friday, July 13, 2018 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Seeger said that she will be out of town for election day, so she wanted to go early to make sure she voted during the early voting time.

By Judy Walton July 13, 2018 3 min read

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Pace ‘steady’ on first day of early voting

Nate Park of Chattanooga, Tennessee, fills out his ballot during early voting at the Hamilton County Election Commission Friday, July 13, 2018 in Chattanooga. Park said he recently moved to Chattanooga from North Carolina, and this was his first time voting in Hamilton County.

Bob Pickrell of Signal Mountain, Tennessee, signs paperwork before voting at the Hamilton County Election Commission Friday, July 13, 2018 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. By 3:40 p.m. Friday, 1,253 people had voted countywide.

Kay Pickrell of Signal Mountain, Tennessee, gives her drivers license to Rodney Strong, an election official, as she confirms her identity and precinct before voting at the Hamilton County Election Commission Friday, July 13, 2018 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. There are four location Hamilton County residents can go for early voting, including the Hamilton County Election Commission, Brainerd Recreation Center, Collegedale City Hall Fuller Community West Room or Hixson Community Center.

Jamie Hightower and Carolyn Tatum, election officials, help LaVerne and Ben Bonine of Lookout Valley, Tennessee, get their ballots to vote during early voting at the Hamilton County Election Commission Friday, July 13, 2018 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. While LaVerne was stating that they tend to participate in early voting to avoid the election day crowds, Ben jokingly chimed in with, "we might be in heaven before the real thing."

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A solid fence of brightly colored candidate signs lined the driveway into the Hamilton County Election Commission office Friday and formed a picket in the grass 100 feet from the building – the closest they are allowed to the voting place.

A slow but steady trickle of vehicles rolled into and out of the lot as residents came to cast ballots on the first day of early voting for the Aug. 2 election.

Voters are choosing their representatives in Hamilton County government, such as the sheriff, county mayor and commissioners, and school board. They also are picking their party representatives for the Tennessee General Assembly and Congress ahead of the Nov. 6 general election.

Louis Carter cast his ballot on the first day mostly for convenience, he said. Carter, 79, of Lookout Mountain, is a missionary plastic surgeon and is traveling to Liberia next week.

He said the key campaign in his mind this primary season is the governor’s race, with the U.S. Senate race close behind.