Early voting opens for Blount's August elections

Two weeks of early voting and dozens of candidates mean Blount Countians have choices to make and some time to consider them before Election Day on Aug. 1.

Early voting starts today, July 12, and runs through July 27. City, county, state and federal offices will be up for grabs in August primary and general elections. Blount County property assessor, three seats on the Blount County Board of Education and two positions each on the Townsend and Friendsville City Commission are among the offices on the ballot Aug. 1, along with city school board positions, a U.S. Senate seat, a spot representing Blount in the U.S. House and two judicial retention questions.

And with election season in full swing — August represents the second of three elections scheduled for 2024 in Blount — voter registration numbers are creeping upwards while the number of polling places has (temporarily) shrunk to four.

General elections

The Aug. 1 race is a mix of primary and general elections.

The county held its primaries in March, leaving four contests for August general elections. Candidates are vying for two open seats on the Blount County Board of Education. Republicans Chris Pass and John Lowe are facing off against Democrats Rob Spirko and Don Jones, respectively. Phil Porter, a Republican, is uncontested in a race to retain his school board seat.

Democrat Melissa McCrossen and Republican incumbent Todd Orr will compete for the county property assessor office. They last ran against each other in 2022.

Two of Blount’s cities will also hold general elections Aug. 1. Two seats each on Townsend and Friendsville’s nonpartisan city commissions are up for election this year.

The Townsend candidates include incumbent Commissioners Becky Headrick and Ted Godfrey, along with former Townsend Commissioner and Mayor Pat Jenkins, Dave Hoque and Houston Oldham. In Friendsville, the two candidates are incumbents Margaret Maze and Steven Cardwell.

The August set of contests are largely primaries at the state level, but a race for a position in Tennessee Republican Party leadership will be decided in August and has drawn interest in Blount. Current State Executive Committeeman Bill Russell, of Reliance, is facing Blount County Planning Commission Chairman Darrell Tipton and Brandon M. Leitch, of Greenback, for the state’s Senate District 2 seat.

Primaries

The city school boards are holding primary elections in August, but only incumbents are running in those races. Maryville Board of Education members Candy Morgan and Nick Black, both Republicans, have filed to run, as have Alcoa board of education members Jim Kirk, Steve Marsh and Mike Brown, also all Republicans.

In the state races, voters will see more competition. Republican County Commissioners Tom Stinnett and Nick Bright are competing against each other and fellow Republican Jason Emert over the right to run against Democrat Karen Gertz for state House District 20 in November.

That House seat is open because of incumbent state Rep. Bryan Richey’s decision to try for retiring state Sen. Art Swann’s District 2 seat. Richey, R-Maryville, faces fellow Republicans Blount County Circuit Court Clerk Tom Hatcher and John G. Pullias in the August primary. The primary’s winner will compete with Democratic candidate Patti Young in November.

State Rep. Jerome Moon, R-Maryville, is uncontested in the Republican primary for the District 8 seat, but voters who select a Democratic primary ballot will have their choice among either Sue DuBois, the current county Democratic Party chair, or Mac Pickle, a teacher.

Blount’s representative in the U.S. House, Congressman Tim Burchett, R-Knox County, faces no opposition in the Republican primary but will compete with Democrat Jane George in November. Republican U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn has drawn a primary challenger in fellow Tres Wittum and will face one of four Democratic candidates — activist Marquita Bradshaw, state Rep. Gloria Johnson, Lola Denise Brown or Civil Miller-Watkins — in November.

Where to vote

With a number of different ballot styles in circulation in the August races, Blount County Administrator of Elections Moe Click told The Daily Times, elections workers have undergone additional training to ensure that the race goes smoothly. If a voter has concerns about questions like residence in a city, for example, Click said, “Ask an election worker. It’s always a good idea to double check.”

It’s a busy season for election workers and county elections staff, Click said. And voters will note that this early voting period looks a little different from others held in recent years, as location options are down to four: the Everett Recreation Center, the Friendsville Pellissippi State Community College campus, the annex of Providence Missionary Baptist Church in Seymour and the Blount County Public Library, which will provide voters with an option to cast a ballot on Saturdays.

Foothills Mall is no longer an early voting option; a fifth location, Fairview Church, will open its doors to voters in November.