Her name is Charlotte Robertson. But on the Shelby County Election Commission voter registration rolls, she is listed as Lindsay Robertson.

Shelby County early voter turnout tops 2016 turnout and leads state

Lindsay was her husband’s first name. He passed away in the 1980s after working for years as a photo engraver for Memphis Publishing Co., helping to produce the afternoon Memphis Press-Scimitar newspaper.

Charlotte and Lindsay were married in the early 1940s, probably 1941, she believes. She can’t recall for sure. And at age 105, she can be forgiven for a small lapse in memory, even if it’s her wedding day.

Here comes the race for president in the gap between early vote and the March 3 election day in the Tennessee presidential primary.

As the Democratic contenders are focused on Saturday’s South Carolina primary, actor Ashley Judd campaigned in Memphis Wednesday, Feb. 26, for Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren.

“It is the election of a lifetime. And I do believe it is an election of life or death,” Judd told a group of 40 at Makeda’s Cookies, the first of three campaign stops she was to make in the city.

Sanders supporters band together for Vermont senator

Can Michael Bloomberg succeed where Al Gore failed?

From the start Bloomberg’s strategy for winning the Democratic presidential nomination — wise or unwise — was to skip the February primaries and caucuses in the hope that no candidate would emerge from them as the clear front runner — and then jump start his campaign in Tennessee and the other 15 contests being held on March 3, aka Super Tuesday.

Bloomberg: Trump ‘buried his head in the sand’ over coronavirus threat

While the other candidates have mostly skirted Tennessee, Bloomberg has held several campaign events in the state, including a second visit to Memphis last Friday. His commercials have been all over local and cable television. His direct mail appeals have stuffed area mailboxes.

Let’s focus here on the Democratic primary for General Sessions Court Clerk with 89 of 166 precincts reporting.

Former City Council member Joe Brown is holding his lead as County Commission Reginald Milton and former City Court Clerk Thomas Long fight for second.

• Brown 13,182
• Milton 8,719
• Long 8,233
• Eddie Jones 7,389
• Wanda Logan Faulkner 5,728

On the Republican side, former Probate Court Clerk Paul Boyd has a two-to-one lead over his nearest competitor, Lisa Wimberly, in a much smaller field of four compared to 13 in the Democratic primary. 

It looks like Boyd and Brown in the August county general election.

A handful of Biden supporters cheered in jubilation at a watch party for him at Rec Room when CNN projected him the winner of the Tennessee Democratic primary.

Local Biden supporter Sam Perlen said the former vice president’s rise over the past few days is no surprise, and he always believed in his candidate.

“I want someone that is going to beat Donald Trump, and I see him being that person,” Perlen said.

“But, two, I want a candidate that I can be proud of. Someone when they’re on the world stage, I’m proud of who they are, but I also want someone I can trust ... and know that they have my best interests in mind always.”

NBC is reporting that Michael Bloomberg will reassess his presidential quest Wednesday, March 4, once all or most of the Super Tuesday primary results are in.

The difference between the Shelby County early vote and the election day results are probably similar to what is happening in other parts of Tennessee, though but probably not to this extent given that Shelby County is the biggest blue area in the state.

Democrats expect the state to go for President Trump in the November general election.

Bloomberg had said before the race got very fractious among the Democratic contenders that he was willing to put his formidable campaign machinery at the disposal of whomever became the nominee. With a third of the Democratic delegates to the summer convention at stake in Tennessee and 13 other states Tuesday, that moment looks to be at hand.

The Sanders machine has been emailing its post Super Tuesday plans in other states as the votes are being counted.

While Bloomberg’s technology and ability to hire more staff here was formidable, Bloomberg the candidate had a stiff campaign style that didn’t handle criticism very well when the going got tough. Biden wasn’t doing that well nationally, either, before he retooled his faltering campaign just in time to win South Carolina and much if not all of the momentum that came with it.

Other observations: Buttigieg, someone who stuck to Nashville and didn’t come to Memphis, has more than a thousand votes so far. A few yard signs made it to Memphis but very little in the way of organization beyond volunteers.

Early statewide returns show Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden moving toward a Tennessee victory as part of his strong showing across Super Tuesday states.

The New York Times and other sources are calling the state for Biden.

The early Tennessee numbers show:

• Biden: 109,404, 37.95%
• Sanders: 71,665, 24.86%
• Bloomberg: 52,134 1808%

It’s no contest, as expected, on the Republican side, where President Donald Trump has virtually all of the vote.

In the Democratic presidential primary, Joe Biden is widening his lead over Michael Bloomberg which now stands at a little more than 7,000 votes. In third, Bernie Sanders has cracked 10,000 with Elizabeth Warren at 4,500.

Statewide a very different story with Biden leading there by more than 25,000 votes over Sanders and Bloomberg a distant third

Biden 108,904 or 37.9%

Sanders 71,429 or 24.8%

Bloomberg 52,033 or 18.1%

Warren 26,573 or 9.2%

In the Democratic primary for General Sessions Court Clerk. Joe Brown is about to crack 10,000 votes with this jump in the combined vote totals. Reginald Milton has taken second by about 200 votes over Thomas Long who slips to third -- each with roughly 6,500 votes give or take 200. Eddie Jones in four with 5,508.

 Politico has called the state’s Democratic primary for former vice president Joe Biden even though Nashville polls are still open for about another hour and a half.

The combined totals from Shelby County Election Commission confirm that a lot happened between the early vote and election day, much of it in South Carolina’s primary resonated among Democratic voters here.

15 of 166 precincts in the county:

Biden 12,531

Bloomberg 10,601

Sanders 8,521

Warren 3,473

Buttigieg 1,645

In the Democratic primary for General Sessions Court Clerk, former city council member Joe Brown is building a lead over former city court clerk Thomas Long and Shelby County commissioner Reginald Milton who are fighting for second in the early going. Brown running his second race in as many years. He was among those running for city court clerk last year.

Again 15 of 166 precincts

Brown 6,942

Long 5,248

Milton 5,121

In the Republican clerk’s primary, former Probate Court Clerk Paul Boyd holding his own by better than 2 to 1 over retired clerk’s office employee Lisa Wimberly.

Boyd 4,526

Wimberly 2,063

Michael Finney 1,346

George Dempsy Summers 885

In Democratic presidential primary:

Biden 10,069

Bloomberg 9,978

Biden 9,818

Sanders 7,498

Warren 3,019

Democratic primary General Sessions Court Clerk

Joe Brown 5,810

Thomas Long, 4,715

Reginald Milton 4,557

Eddie Jones 3,972

Wanda Logan Faulkner 3,040

Republican primary General Sessions Court Clerk

Paul Boyd 4,164

Lisa Wimberly 1,882

Michael Finney 1,230

George Dempsy Summers 816

As we continue to wait on Shelby County’s early vote, a few words about what the returns from elsewhere in the state may be saying.

The early voting period was the same across the state and reflects a very different political reality in the Democratic presidential primary.

First, more of the 15 names on the primary ballot were still in the race at that point.

Second, Joe Biden was trying to nail down his first clear and convincing win, which didn’t happen until North Carolina.

Third, Michael Bloomberg was riding high in Tennessee, where he committed a relatively high amount of resources compared to all the attention Biden, Warren and Sanders were devoting to Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada in that order.

So Bloomberg is hanging in there for what might be the early vote plus a little more in some of these much smaller counties in terms of population.

It wasn’t until after early voting had ended -- several days in fact -- that Biden got his big win in South Carolina and momentum. So this could be that rare instance where the early vote here reflects what was happening then and election day reflects a different reality. We will see. And hopefully soon.

But this is going to be a late night statewide with the Nashville polls staying open a few extra hours because of today’s tornado there.

About half of the state’s 95 counties are showing election returns. Still waiting on the early vote in Shelby County.

But statewide in the Democratic presidential primary, there have been several lead changes in these very early returns among Joe Biden, Michael Bloomberg and Bernie Sanders. Sanders is the leader at the moment with almost 25% followed by Bloomberg with 23.5%, Biden with 22.5%.

The Republican side of this much more predictable.

Trump 103,137 or 96.2%

Uncommitted 1,638 or 1.5%

Joe Walsh 1,211 or 1.1%

(We should add that Walsh, an Illinois Congressman, left the race some time ago.)

Bill Weld, 1,185 or 1.1%

Still waiting on the early vote in Shelby County. But returns coming in from 45 other counties across the state.

They are as follows in the Democratic presidential primary:

Bernie Sanders 6,607 or 24.6%

Joe Biden 6,445 or 24.04%

Michael Bloomberg 6,376 or 23.7%

Elizabeth Warren 2,396 or 8.9%

Pete Buttigieg 2,380 or 8.8%

Amy Klobuchar 1,545 or 5.76%

The rest are under 1,000 votes. Very early returns.

The polls have closed or are closing in Shelby County, ending what seems to have been a pretty normal day of voting. 

Combined with the early voter turnout that just about matched what it was four years ago, it looks like Shelby County could have a total turnout of around a quarter of the county’s voters. 

No surprises in the turnout. We’ll see if there are surprises in the results. It could be awhile before we have statewide totals that are conclusive. 

With today’s tornado in Nashville, polling hours in Davidson County have been extended to 10 p.m. at some locations.

Locally, the first numbers we should see are the early voting numbers -- just over 43,000 people in the Democratic and Republican primaries. The election day numbers start rolling after that, usually after a bit of a pause.

As the work day ended, about 20 people lined up in the lobby of the new Millington High School Auditorium to vote. 

Outside, Dottie Ray and her husband Richard Ray stopped to take a selfie.

”She’s the selfie queen,” Richard Ray said.

That picture was quickly posted on social media.

”It’s my civic duty. I wish that everybody would go vote,” Dottie Ray said. “I really do. I think that’s what our country was founded on and I think it’s important for us all to go do what we’re supposed to do.” 

The Tennessee Democratic Party won its attempt to keep polls open later in the Nashville area because of the tornado there.

Extending the poll close time will provide sufficient time for voters across the county to exercise their right to cast their vote, the party said in a statement. 

“This is a victory for all voters and this decision will ensure that everyone has the opportunity to participate in this historic election,” Democratic Party Chairwoman Mary Mancini said.

Under the ruling, all Davidson County polling locations will remain open until 8 p.m. And several “mega polling sites” will remain open until 10 p.m.

The Tennessee Democratic Party is in court in Nashville Tuesday afternoon seeking to keep polls open in that city an extra three hours because of the tornado.

Such an extension, if granted, would make this evening’s statewide vote count more interesting.

A lone exit poller sat outside the North Frayser Community Center, where poll workers said turnout has been “wonderful.”

By late afternoon, there was a flood of voters at the community center who quickly rushed in to vote.

Tony Williams was ahead of them all.

“I wanted to run in here before everybody got off,” Williams said. 

It took all of five minutes to vote, he said.

“That’s good for me, but it’s not if people don’t vote,” Williams said.

Thomas Chapel Baptist Church on New Raleigh Road has three voting machines, and 76 people had used them by 2:45 p.m. 

Poll workers said they sometimes have stretches of free time between voters before they come in one or two at a time.

Joseph Williams, a self-employed mechanic, has been voting at the church for a few years and said he’s never seen it really busy.

”I see a lot of people my age running up and down the street. They don’t vote,” said Williams, 34.

Retired Memphis City Schools teacher Bernice Alexander doesn’t usually vote at her polling place in Bartlett.

But on Super Tuesday, she was at St. Ann Catholic Church shortly after noon and ahead of lunchtime voters.

”If fact, the last 25 years I’ve always voted early. But I just let it slip up on me this time,” Alexander said.

Like many other polling sites across Shelby County, there were no campaign signs or campaign workers outside the polls at lunchtime. 

Poll workers said voting has been consistent, but that there was an unusually long list of people who voted early.

Slow to no lines were reported at several polling places as the lunch hour began.

Meanwhile, we have our first sighting of a supporter of Republican presidential candidate Bill Weld outside one polling place. Weld is President Donald Trump’s only active challenger on the Tennessee Republican primary ballot.

Less than seven hours remain to the closing of polls in Shelby County.

With only two races on the ballot, one thing is obviously missing, said Mike McCrory, minister of music at First Baptist Church of Lakeland. None of the candidates have planted signs in front of the church and there are no campaign workers or candidates asking for votes. ”It’s been a steady pace of voting but we have had 3 or 4-plus complaints that they didn’t see any signs, any ‘vote for me' signs,” McCrory said. 

He has opened and closed the church for five elections. But this is the first time he’s had to move a “Vote Here” sign from the building to the road so folks can find them. And he’s talk to people in Arlington who have said the same thing. ”Now come November, that might be a different story, McCrory said.

Poll worker Myron Johnson said there has been a fairly steady turnout at Hope Church on Cordova, nothing overwhelming.”I haven’t had a chance to sit down,” said Johnson, who was passing out fliers for Shelby County Commissioner Reginald Milton, a Democratic primary candidate for general sessions court clerk.

Wanda Armstrong said she was number 31 on the list, and her husband, Charles Armstrong was 30. She was disappointed at the low turnout and had hoped it would be better. “I was thinking there’d be more people. Who knows? I told my kids. Maybe they will come later,” Wanda Armstrong said. John Corbin, who voted in the Republican primary, expects it get better later in the day.” You come here at five o’clock and this place is going to be lined up, I’ll bet,” said Corbin, a U.S. Marine veteran. 

By 10 a.m., 61 people had voted at the Norris Road Missionary Baptist Church precinct in South Memphis. There were no lines and the poll workers said people had been coming and going steadily since doors opened at 7 a.m.

Edward N. Hunter Sr., who lives nearby, said he came early to avoid the lunchtime and after work crowds. He said it took him about 5 minutes to cast his ballot.

“I’ve done my civic duty by voting, “ he said.

At White Station Middle School, turnout was light around 9 a.m. There were only a handful of campaign signs on the school grounds and one campaign worker standing outside with a sign. But Will Cooper, who has worked the same poll for about 10 years, was moving voters through. A canister of Clorox wipes was on hand, and Cooper said they’re wiping the pens down periodically and that at least one voter this morning made a point of using her own pen.

A steady stream of voters were at Riverside Missionary Baptist Church on Third Street in Whitehaven Tuesday around 9 a.m. Voters said the lines were moving and they experienced no problems with voting. Martin Grubbs arrived at 9 a.m. with his mother to vote, but learned they were at the wrong precinct. “We have to go to our precinct in Westwood,” Grubbs said. As he left, other voters were greeted by campaign workers who shouted the name and experience of the candidates they were working for. “Can’t go wrong with Thomas Long,” one worker shouted. “You can bank on Banks,” another man shouted about Gortria Banks. “You might bank on Banks, but vote for Long,” a worker retorted.

At 9:30 a.m. it was very quiet at Davis Community Center on Spottswood Avenue. Only a few campaign signs signaled Election Day; there were no campaign workers outside of the building. Once inside, there was no wait for voters to cast their ballot.

About 185 people had voted at Greenlaw Community Center in Uptown shortly after 9 a.m. and there was a steady trickle of voters coming in. There were four campaign workers stationed along the poll’s entry drive, all of them waving signs for General Sessions Court Clerk candidates, and no sign of supporters of Democratic Presidential primary candidates. Some voters reported problems with the touch screens on older voting machines.

A line of about 20 voters queued up at Midtown’s Open Door Bible Church, 1792 N. Parkway, at 7:15 a.m. Casting a vote took about 20 minutes. But the line had nearly vanished by 7:40. One surprise involved the list of presidential candidates on the voting screen. Anyone voting for Elizabeth Warren -- or a few other candidates whose last name begins with a letter near the end of the alphabet -- had to hit “next” to go to a second page. That might confuse some voters who associate touching “next” as moving on to the next race.

A line of less than five people was formed minutes after the polling place opened at Riveroaks Presbyterian Church in Germantown. About 10 people had voted by 7:15 a.m. There was one sign on the property for Mike Bloomberg. Although Germantown Performing Arts Center has been a place for some suburban residents to cast their vote, they went to The Great Hall instead. There was no line at 7:30 and all machines were working properly.