Almost 65,000 had voted early or absentee through Thursday according to the latest figures from the state. The next-to-last day of the voting period on Fridays is usually the highest.

A Collierville High alumna and Collierville Elementary parent is seeking a seat on the town’s board of education.

In the middle of an election campaign, District Attorney Amy Weirich appears on Thaddeus Matthews’ show as her office simultaneously prosecutes him on several misdemeanor allegations. Legal experts say it appears to be a conflict of interest.

Also Friday, the Memphis Area Transit Authority will offer free service on all fixed routes to encourage early voting ahead of the Aug. 4 election day.

Arlington municipal school board candidates are strategizing their final campaign moves with Election Day just over a week away. 

The Memphis-Shelby County Schools board rejected on Tuesday evening, July 26, applications for three charter schools, but the schools could still gain approval by going an alternate route. 

The two contenders for Shelby County Mayor clashed for the second time in a week, this time at the Memphis Rotary Club’s traditional mayoral debate.

Dr. Daniel Chatham, a local pediatrician, plans to seek a seat on the Germantown Municipal School District Board of Education.

Shelby County’s early voter turnout so far is higher by far than any other county in the state and mostly Democratic with an estimated 35,000 in the first week once numbers from Friday and Saturday are posted Monday. Meanwhile John Rich campaigns for Brent Taylor and Republicans shuffle their endorsement ballot to highlight the county clerk’s race. 

In the Northeast Shelby County GOP primary race for the General Assembly, voters will decide whether they view incumbent state Rep. Tom Leatherwood of Arlington as effective or, as his challenger says, “lackadaisical.”

Here is The Daily Memphian’s guide to who is who in the 31 contested judicial races, including endorsements and polling by the city’s two bar associations.

These eight county general election races aren’t the contests many voters are watching. Still, the offices control some basic yet complex business operations within county government. Here’s what the races look like.

Three alderman positions and three Arlington Community Schools (ACS) board seats are up for election this year. Early voting runs until July 30.

The endorsements come as other progressive district attorneys nationwide have faced problems. 

The pews of Germantown Presbyterian Church were filled with spectators Thursday evening as 60 judicial candidates took to the podium, making their case for election to general sessions, circuit, criminal and environmental courts.

In their separate campaigns, Worth Morgan and Lee Harris have offered vastly different visions of what the county mayor should prioritize. Each has criticized the vision of the other.

Additional candidates, including Victor Michael Read for Position 1, file for offices in Bartlett municipal elections. 

Most of the votes were cast on Friday, which was opening day. A coalition of nonpartisan groups called Shelby County Voters Alliance are planning poll parties for next Saturday at two of the early polling sites.

Democrats have raised more money, but GOP candidates are spending faster and have more cash on hand. That’s due in large part to Brent Taylor’s largely self-financed state Senate campaign.

The City Council sponsor of the partisan primaries ballot question will be watching to see how the August term limits referendum fares before deciding whether to call for a vote. 

The Lakeland election season is picking up speed, with new candidates and incumbents pulling petitions.

The “big ballot,” which comes once every eight years in Shelby County politics, features 163 races with 344 candidates. Here’s what to expect on the ballot and what has changed for voters.

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Ballot Basics: Early voting is July 15-30