Early voting now underway for Nov. 3 election
Early voting for the Nov. 3 general election began today (Oct. 14), and will continue through Thursday, Oct. 29, in three locations in Anderson County.
Voters will make choices among candidates for federal, state and municipal offices, including choosing a successor to Gov. Bill Lee.
Clinton, Norris, Rocky Top, Oak Ridge and Oliver Springs all have municipal offices on the ballot, although there is no opposition for any of the seats up for election in Norris and Rocky Top.
In Clinton, however, the mayor’s race includes three candidates.
Running for governor are Republican U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn; Democrat Jerri Green, a Memphis environmental activist; and 13 independent candidates.
U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty, a Republican, faces Democrat Marquita Bradshaw and eight independent candidates.
Tennessee District 3 U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, a Republican, faces Democrat Anna Golladay and five independent candidates.
The three locations for early voting are:
• The Anderson County Fair Association Building, 218 Nave St., Clinton.
• The Midtown Community Center, 102 Robertsville Road, Oak Ridge.
• The Anderson County government office, Anderson Crossing Shopping Center (Norris/Andersonville), 3324 Andersonville Highway, next door to Anderson Crossing Pharmacy.
Voting hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. until noon Saturday.
Also up for a vote are three proposed Tennessee constitutional amendments.
The only mayoral race with a choice of candidates is in Clinton, where incumbent Scott Burton is facing challengers Delanie Davis and Stephen McNally.
Rocky Top Mayor Kerry Templin is running unopposed for a second four-year term.
Two incumbent Rocky Top council members, Jeff Gilliam and Joe Tackett, are also running unopposed for the two council seats on the Nov. 3 ballot.
In Norris, there are only five candidates for the five City Council seats.
On the ballot are Councilmen Bill Grieve and Charles P. “Chuck” Nicholson, who are the only previously elected candidates to file, along with Councilmen Travis Honeycutt and Alex Munro, recent appointments to the board, and newcomer Zach Cross.
Absent from the race is Mayor Chris Mitchell, who has chosen not to run for re-election this year after serving nearly 18 years on the council – all of them as mayor.
Mitchell said in early July that he “will not be entering into City Council Election process this cycle.”
“I will be serving out my current term, and assisting in the transition process as requested,” he said in an email., adding: “I’m excited about starting some new great adventures.”
All five Norris council members are elected every two years.
The mayor is chosen by a majority vote of the new City Council when it meets for the first time, in December following the November election. The mayor’s position is never on the city’s ballot for voters to choose.
For Clinton City Council, Rick Meredith is facing Andrea Townsend for the Ward 1 City Council seat; Brian D. Hatmaker is unopposed for the Ward 2 seat; and incumbent Wendy Maness is opposed by Cathie Auxier for the Ward 3 seat.
On the Anderson County Commission, Republican Don A. Layton faces Democrat Gina Grubb in the special election for the open District 8 seat in the Oak Ridge area.
District 33, Republican state Rep. Rick Scarbrough faces Democrat Anne Backus.
And in District 41 incumbent state Rep. Ed Butler, a Republican, faces Democrat R. Jason Goodman.
For state Senate District 5, Republican Jimmy Matlock is facing Democrat David Miller t replace retiring Sen. Randy McNally.
The complete sample ballot for the Nov. 3 general election in Anderson County may be found online at https://www.acelection.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/November-2026-Sample-Ballot.pdf.