Numbers from the first week of early voting in Hamilton County are nearly double the vote counts at the same point in 2022 and 2018 and are projected to surpass the total early voting numbers from those years by over 10,000 votes, according to the Election Commission.
The strong week follows a likely record-breaking first day for a midterm primary in Hamilton County, according to the county’s election administrator.
(READ MORE: Early voting opens strong in Hamilton County, defying midterm primary trends)
In the first six days of early voting this year, 11,536 votes have been cast compared to 5,6115 and 7,956 in 2022 and 2018 at the same point, respectively, according to the Election Commission.
The commission website predicts early voting turnout to be between 29,050 and 36,450. In 2022 and 2018, early voting totaled 20,150 and 21,358.
Although turnout has diverged from the overall trend of low participation in midterm primary races in Tennessee and nationally, there has been some confusion about the dual-purpose race.
The summer election is both a state and federal primary and a county general election.
Contests include the general election for Hamilton County mayor, six contested Hamilton County Commission seats and four contested positions on the Hamilton County school board. Those general races are in addition to primary races in three area Tennessee House contests and for Tennessee governor, the U.S. House and U.S. Senate.
Voters can choose between three different ballots because of the simultaneous general and primary elections and the fact that Tennessee voters do not register to vote as members of one party or another, as the state has open primaries.
Voters can choose between a Republican and a Democratic ballot for the state and federal primary races. Each of those ballots will also include the county general election races. Voters can also request a general ballot, which will include only the county general election races.
If voters decide to pull a Republican or Democratic primary ballot, they have to sign under penalty of perjury that they are affiliated with or are members of the party in whose primary they are voting.
The general election ballot is given to someone who doesn’t identify with a party and is not participating in either of the Republican or Democratic primary races.
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One Hamilton County resident, who doesn’t identify with a party, said he had trouble pulling a general ballot when he went to vote early at the Election Commission on Amnicola Highway.
David Steele said in an interview by phone that when he first requested a general ballot when he went to vote early, he was told no and encouraged to pick either a Republican or Democratic ballot. Steele said it was not until after he spoke with three election workers and an election worker went and asked someone else that he was eventually given a general ballot.
“I don’t know how often this happens, but I’m a little bit more politically engaged than average, and so I’m capable of advocating for myself in that setting,” Steele said. “I know plenty of people who are very smart people who would have just assumed that when they were told no, you can’t do this, they would just accept that, and I think that’s concerning.”
Steele said that he only saw two piles of ballots at the table to check in to early vote and show your ID, a pile of Democratic and a pile of Republican ballots.
Of the 11,536 votes cast in the first six days of early voting, only 1.8% of them, 205, have been general ballots. A majority, 58.4% or 6,734, have been Republican and 39.8% or 4,597 have been Democratic, according to the Election Commission.
(READ MORE: Open or closed? Hamilton County GOP split on primaries)
In recent years, Republicans have emphasized potential criminal penalties for people who are voting for a party’s ballot for what they view as less-than-honorable reasons, such as for a Democrat to vote for a more moderate Republican.
The supermajority GOP legislature has passed laws requiring yellow signs to be posted at polling places that warn of penalties for people who vote in a primary if they are not a bona fide member of the party in question.
Early voting runs until Aug. 1. Election Day is Aug. 6.
Contact politics reporter Ruby Rayner at rrayner@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6556.