Monday's Internet Edition, January 05, 2009.
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Pink and white dogwood blossoms grow on the same tree in a showy display of spring color at First Baptist Church in downtown Spencer. |
By DAVID HEDGES
Publisher - The number of early voters in Roane County could easily surpass the number who showed up before election day in any previous primary election.
As of early Tuesday afternoon, Roane County Clerk Charlie White said almost 350 voters had already cast ballots in his office.
That was with less than six days of the 16-day early voting period complete.
In 2002, the first year early voting was allowed, there were 257 early votes cast in the primary. In 2004 that number climbed to 423 while in 2006 there were 507 early voters.
The numbers were higher in the general elections, with 577 in 2002, 1,869 in the last presidential election in 2004 and 1,107 in the off-year election of 2006.
While the presidential race has drawn a lot of interest this year, White said comments he has overheard from voters in his office are more focused on a local race.
“I’ve heard more people mention the sheriff’s race than I have the president,” White said early Tuesday afternoon in his office, where 40 people had already voted that day.
Four Republicans and five Democrats are in the running for the sheriff’s job being vacated by Todd Cole, who is prohibited from seeking a third consecutive term.
The presidential race on the Democrat side, where former First Lady Hillary Clinton is battling Illinois Senator Barack Obama, has also drawn a lot of attention nationally. GOP frontrunner John McCain has already sewn up his party’s nomination.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the number of voters in the Democrat primary far surpassed the number of Republican voters.
Some 214 people had cast Democrat ballots, while 125 voted a Republican ballot. Another nine voted only in the non-partisan board of education race.
This is the first year independent voters can request either a Democrat or Republican ballot in the primary election.
For several years, the Republican party has allowed independent voters to vote in the GOP primary. This year, Democrats also opened their primary to independents.
The partisan ballots are provided only to those who request one. Poll workers are not permitted to offer a Democrat or Republican ballot to an independent voter who does not make that request. In those cases, they are provided only a board of education ballot.
People registered as a Democrat, Republican or in the Mountain Party cannot receive a ballot from a party other than their own.
Voters who are not affiliated with any party, or who are registered with a party other than Democrat, Republican or Mountain, can request another party’s ballot.
Early voting is open each weekday at the county clerk’s office from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. and the next two Saturdays from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Saturday, May 10 will be the final day for early voting in the May 13 primary election.
