The Political Roundup has the details for last-minute early voting as well as a follow-up on Brandon Toney’s bid to get back on the August Republican primary ballot in state Senate District 31.
The only two contested Republican primaries in August for seats in the Tennessee General Assembly representing parts of Shelby County could change dramatically with new challenges that could remove one of the contenders from each of the two-man races.
Almost 16,000 Shelby Countians had voted early through Saturday. Early voting ends Thursday and the final four days of the two-week voting period usually record the heaviest turnout judging by past elections in the same cycle.
“I just feel like a weight has been lifted up off of me.”
Here are the basics of how term limits work in Memphis and Shelby County, and a tumultuous history of the issue across both governments.
Here is the backstory of how county primaries came to be in the early 1990s, called for by Republicans several years after Democrats splintered over a move in their ranks to take local elections partisan.
Starting today, April 25, and through election day for the Shelby county primaries, May 3, we’ll be making all of our extensive election coverage free to readers.
Making its way through the Memphis City Council are a pair of ballot questions that could change the face of city government and the nature of city politics — if they get on the ballot and if a majority of city voters agree at the ballot box. The election backstory: Term limitsRelated coverage:
The election backstory: Primaries
After hearing candidates speak, the 100 people in attendance at the National Civil Rights Museum used their cell phones to vote for those they wanted the convention to recommend in Shelby County.
All MATA services will be free to ride on Thursday, April 28.
“Regardless of where you live in Tennessee, you should have a say in who represents you,” writes Tequila Johnson and Charlane Oliver.
The two proposals were introduced during council committee sessions but appear to have been discussed among council members prior to that. City Council approves Southwind apartments, Liberty Park management contract, moreRelated story:
With all 26 sites open Monday, April 18, for the first time in the two-week period, more than 2,800 of the 3,900 early voters in the first four days of the period cast their ballots in the Democratic county primaries.
Turnout soared Saturday with six early voting locations open and Agricenter and Glenview Community Center as the top locations by turnout. All 26 sites, including the 20 sites that opened Monday are open through April 28. Election day is May 3.
The five sites that open Saturday are in addition to the one open since this past Wednesday at the Downtown Election Commission offices. Early voting in the county primaries expands Monday, April 18, to all 26 sites across the county and runs through April 28. Election day is May 3.
Thursday marked the withdrawal deadline for contenders in the August election, with several developments in the nonpartisan judicial races that are a major part of that ballot.
Incumbent Mayor Lee Harris wants to continue a sea change in what issues the county mayor focuses on. His challenger in the May Democratic primary, Ken Moody, says that focus isn’t immediate or local enough.Related story:
There are plans by several organizations to boost the turnout Thursday. Meanwhile, there is free parking around the only early-voting site Downtown open Wednesday and Thursday.
A pair of new faces have entered the race for Arlington Community Schools (ACS) board positions in the Aug. 4 town municipal elections.
Early voting for the Shelby County primaries is April 13-28. Here is everything to know the ballot, the basics of early voting and what turnout in this election cycle has looked like in the past.
The Democratic primary race for district attorney is about to turn from general calls for change to who can upset incumbent Republican Amy Weirich.Related story:
The ruling on a motion Monday, April 11, means early voting in advance of the May 3 election day opens Wednesday at a single Downtown site. The other 25 early voting sites open the Monday after Easter Sunday.
Billy Orgel decided not to file the petition for re-election he pulledin February. That left Amber Huett-Garcia as the only candidate in the race and effectively elected to the District 6 MSCS board seat at the Thursday filing deadline. There were other surprises at the deadline in other races.
With some petitions still out ahead of the Thursday, April 7, noon deadline, there is a chance some contenders will have no opposition on the August ballot. Here’s a run down of the filing developments.
Steven Smith was previously chairman of the Arlington’s Cemetery Preservation Restoration Committee and serves as president of the town’s Association for the Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities.