According to Bedford County Administrator of Elections Summer Leverette, the early voting turnout for Thursday’s General Election is lower than past August elections. Early voting ended last Thursday.

Though the early voting period has ended, citizens still have time to vote Thursday, Aug. 4, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The State and Federal general election will have early voting beginning on Oct. 19 and going through to Nov. 3. The next election day will be Nov. 8.

According to data from the Secretary of State, comparing this to the same periods in previous years, Bedford had 3,690 voters turnout in 2018 but only 1,741 as of last Wednesday, July 27. That’s a 52.8 percent change. The change is even larger when compared to 2014 where Bedford had 3,971 early voters show up, a 56 percent change.

This puts Bedford in the top 10 (6th place) out of 95 counties for largest percentage change of voter turnout since 2014. Leading in the top is Crockett County, which has 1,639 voters turnout in 2014 but only 422 in 2022.

This trend can be seen throughout the State.

Up through Day 11 of early voting, Tennessee has a total of 442,981 voters in 2018. In 2022, that number is 331,994, which is almost a 111,000 difference in turnout.

Bedford’s daily totals for first 11 days of early voting in 2022 were:

· July 15 — Republican: 177; Democratic: 40; total: 228

· July 16 — Republican: 43; Democratic: 5; Total: 50

· July 18 — Republican: 143; Democratic: 31; Total: 176

· July 19 — Republican: 136; Democratic: 30; Total: 168

· July 20 — Republican: 150; Democratic: 19; Total: 172

· July 21 — Republican: 111; Democratic: 42; Total: 155

· July 22 — Republican: 141; Democratic: 28; Total: 172

· July 23 — Republican: 78; Democratic: 11; Total: 89

· July 25 — Republican: 155; Democratic: 24: Total: 182

· July 26 — Republican: 118; Democratic: 21; Total: 145

· July 27 — Republican: 171; Democratic: 30; Total: 204