Early voting numbers soar (includes vote results)
Jessica Ogburn, top center, is running for Norris city council. She and her family —Sam Ogburn, top left, son Harrison, top right, children Adrian and Madalyn — voted in Norris yesterday.
Clinton Mayor: Scott Burton
City Council Ward 1: E.T. Stacey
Oak Ridge city council: Warren Gooch, Kelly Callison, Ellen Smith, Rick Chinn
Oliver Springs Ward 2: Jeffery Bass
Oliver Springs wine at retail stores: majority votes in favor
Rocky Top Mayor: Tim Sharp
Rocky Top city council: Denise Casteel, Brian Brown
For the full list and vote count, visit acelect.com
This year’s early voting turnout in Anderson County is acting more like a presidential election than a midterm, according to Anderson County election commission’s Kim Eby.
In 2016 — the year President Donald Trump was elected — 21,539 people voted early with a total of 30,502 voters casting their ballots. In 2014— the last year midterm elections were held — only 9,658 people voted early and 18,639 voted total, including absentee and on election day.
This year, the number of voters who cast their ballots early was close to the amount of total voters in 2014: 17,423.
The county has 45,195 registered voters. Percentage-wise, that is a significant increase: only 21-percent of registered voters voted early in 2014, while 38-percent have this year.
According to a Targetsmart political data report, which gets its information from the Tennessee Secretary of State, the number of younger voters in Tennessee saw the highest level of growth: in 2014, 12,812 voters between the ages of 18-29 voted early.
This, that number is 97,826. That’s an increase of over 660-percent.
Voters ages 30-39 saw a 430-percent increase.
The number of total voters was not available by the time The Courier News went to print, but our website will be updated with the information.