Still time to vote early

Early voting for the Aug. 2 primary and general elections ends Saturday.

"It's been slow," said Bedford County Administrator of Elections Summer Leverette, "but that's what we expected."

As of about 10 a.m. Wednesday, 649 voters had participated in early voting -- 475 of those choosing to vote in the Republican primary, 171 in the Democratic primary, and the remaining three voting in the general election without voting in either party's primary.

Early voting continues until 5 p.m. today, 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. Friday, and 9 a.m. until noon Saturday in the basement of the county courthouse.

Polls will be open 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Election Day, Thursday, Aug. 2.

Leverette reminded residents of the new rule requiring that voters show a government-issued photo ID at the polls. She said there have been no problems with that requirement so far, and many who have been voting have expressed their support for the rule.

The August election will primarily be a general election for county offices and a party primary for state and local offices. There are only two contested races in the county general election. No one filed to run for the District 8 school board seat or the District 9 road board seat.

The election next week will be the first since seven of the county's 18 polling places were closed. The closures were blamed on the difficulty in hiring poll workers; problems with handicapped access at some locations; and the lack of a cell phone signal or land line phone at some locations.

Three precincts are changing locations. The Wartrace precinct will move from the town's gymnasium to Wartrace Baptist Church; the Normandy precinct will move from the fire hall to Normandy Baptist Church; and the airport precinct will move from Shelbyville Municipal Airport to Fair Haven Baptist Church.

The new precinct list (see map here)

Wartrace Baptist Church

Bell Buckle (Webb School)

Fair Haven Baptist Church

Unionville Fire Hall

Bedford (WBTS Community Center)

Flat Creek Community Center

Normandy Baptist Church

East Side Elementary

Deery Eakin Elementary

Thomas Magnet School

Southside School

The county courthouse is the location for early voting for any election, even those specific to Bell Buckle, Normandy or Wartrace.

Here's what's on the ballot, with (I) indicating an incumbent:

YES/NO JUDICIAL RETENTION VOTES

Jeffrey S. Bivins, Middle Division, Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals

Roger A. Page, Western Division, Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals

ASSESSOR OF PROPERTY

Ronda Clanton, Democratic nominee (I)

ROAD SUPERINTENDENT

Stanley Smotherman, Democratic nominee (I)

DISTRICT 1

County commisioner, 2-year unexpired term

Duane Carter

Don Gallagher (I)

School Board

Dixie Parker (I)

Road Board

Albert Crosslin (I)

DISTRICT 2

County commissioner, 2-year unexpired term

Robert "Bob" Davis

Michael Gregory

Bill Sloan

Road Board

Wayne Carter (I)

DISTRICT 3

Road Board

Brent Stacy

DISTRICT 4

Road Board

Robert V. McAnally (I)

DISTRICT 5

School Board

Michael A. Cook

Road Board

Frank Bobo (I)

DISTRICT 6

School Board

Andrea Anderson (I)

Road Board

David Gordon (I)

DISTRICT 7

Road Board

MIchael Sudberry (I)

DISTRICT 8

School Board

No candidate filed

Road Board

Charles Ronnie Sudberry (I)

DISTRICT 9

School Board

Glenn Forsee (I)

Road Board

No candidate filed

BELL BUCKLE

Alderman, two-year unexpired term

James G. Anderson

Alderman, full term (two seats)

J. Edwina Chilton (I)

R. Frank Reagor (I)

Willie Snell

U.S. Senate

Fred R. Anderson

Mark Twain Clemens

Bob Corker (I)

Brenda S. Lenard

Zach Poskevich

U.S. House, District 4

Scott DesJarlais (I)

Shannon Kelley

Tennessee Senate, District 14

Matt Randolph

Jim Tracy (I)

Tennessee House, District 62

Pat Marsh (I)

U.S. Senate

Mark E. Clayton

Larry Crim

Gary Gene Davis

Dave Hancock

Park Overall

T.K. Owens

Benjamin Roberts

U.S. House, District 4

Eric Stewart

Tennessee Senate, District 14

No candidate filed

Tennessee House, District 62

No candidate filed