VOTER FAQs
Early voting for the presidential preference and Hamilton County primary elections is from Feb. 14-27. Here's where you can vote:
— Hamilton County Election Commission, 700 River Terminal Road, 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday.
These locations are open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday:
— Chestnut Hall At The Commons, 4750 Swinyar Drive.
— Highway 58 Volunteer Fire Training Center, 9108 Snow Hill Road.
— Soddy-Daisy Community Center, 190 Depot Street.
— Chris L. Ramsey Sr. Community Center, 1010 N Moore Road.
— Hixson Community Center, 5401 School Drive.
What elections are happening in 2024?
March 5 is the primary election for:
— President of the United States.
— Delegates-at-large and delegates to the 3rd Congressional District (Republican ballot only).
— Criminal Court Judge, Div. 2.
— County Commission District 3.
— Assessor of Property.
— Hamilton County School Board Districts 1, 2, 4, 7, 10 & 11.
— Town of Lookout Mountain School Board.
Aug. 1 is the primary election for:
— U.S. Senate.
— U.S. House of Representatives.
— Tennessee State Senate, District 10.
— Tennessee State House of Representatives Districts 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30.
Aug. 1 is the general election for:
— Criminal Court Judge, Div. 2.
— County Commission District 3.
— Assessor of Property.
— Hamilton County School Board Districts 1, 2, 4, 7, 10 & 11.
— Town of Lookout Mountain Commission and School Board.
Nov. 5 is the general election for:
— President and vice president of the United States.
— U.S. Senate.
— U.S. House of Representatives.
— Tennessee State Senate, District 10.
— Tennessee State House of Representatives Districts 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30.
— City of Collegedale Commission.
— City of East Ridge City Council.
— City of Lakesite Commission.
— City of Red Bank Commission.
— Town of Signal Mountain Town Council.
— City of Soddy Daisy Commission.
— Town of Walden Mayor & Alderman.
How to register to vote
In Tennessee, you have to meet the following criteria to vote:
— Be a U.S. Citizen.
— Be a resident of Tennessee.
— Be at least 18 years old on/or before the next election.
You can register to vote online at bit.ly/govoteTN.
You must have a Tennessee driver's license or Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security ID to register online. If you do not have either of those, you can print the voter registration form and submit by mail to your county election office. In Hamilton County, mail it to the Hamilton County Election Commission office, 700 River Terminal Road, Chattanooga, TN 37406.
You must register at least 30 days before the next election. The deadline to register for the March primary election is Monday.
How are the primary and general elections different?
In a primary election, voters select a candidate to represent a political party. That candidate is then the nominee for the general election. Tennessee and Georgia both have nonpartisan registration, meaning voters are not required to affiliate with a political party on the voter registration form. Voters can choose to receive either a Republican or Democratic primary ballot.
The parties' candidates run in the general election, and that winner takes office.
Candidate profiles
The Chattanooga Times Free Press is profiling candidates with competitive primaries ahead of the March 5 election. Candidates facing no primary opposition will be profiled before the Aug. 1 general election. Read about the candidates at timesfreepress.com/vote-2024.