April 24, 2022
By: Dwayne Page
Eligible voters who haven’t participated in early voting for the May 3 primaries have four more days to do so.
The hours for early voting this week (April 25-28) are as follows: Monday 1 p.m. until 5 p.m., Tuesday 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., Wednesday 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. and Thursday from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. all at the DeKalb County Courthouse in Smithville. Thursday, April 28 is the last day of early voting for the May 3 DeKalb County Democratic and Republican Primaries. Early voting will also be held Monday, April 25 from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. at the Fairgrounds in Alexandria. All properly registered voters can vote early at either location.
A total of 120 people cast ballots Saturday. That brings the nine-day total of early voting to 1,205 including 1,136 in person and 69 by absentee. Through Saturday, the DeKalb County Republican Primary turnout has totaled 778 compared to 427 for the Democratic Primary.
During the three hour early voting period on Saturday, 120 voted including 108 in person and 12 by absentee. A total of 90 voted in the DeKalb County Republican Primary and 30 in the Democratic Primary.
To vote early or on Election Day, DeKalb County voters need to bring valid photo identification to the polls. A driver’s license or photo ID issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Tennessee state government or the federal government is acceptable even if it’s expired. College student IDs are not acceptable. For more information about what types of ID are acceptable and other election details, visit GoVoteTN.gov.
The deadline to apply for an absentee by-mail ballot is Tuesday, April 26. To receive an absentee by-mail ballot, voters must submit a written application to the DeKalb County Election Commission. Applications can be sent by mail to DeKalb Election Commission, P.O. Box 543, Smithville, by fax to 615-597-7799 or by email to dekalb.commission@tn.gov. If emailing the application, the document must include the required information, your scanned signature, and be attached to the email.
Completed absentee by-mail ballots must be returned by mail to the DeKalb County Election Commission. Ballots must be received before the polls close on Election Day, Tuesday, May 3.
For more information about early voting, voting absentee by-mail and other election information, visit GoVoteTN.gov or contact the DeKalb County Election Commission at 615-597-4146.
Here’s how the early voting total breaks down for each day to date:
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13:
TOTAL—106
In person—92
Absentee—14
Republican—71
Democrat—35
THURSDAY, APRIL 14:
TOTAL-187
In person-183
Absentee- 4
Republican-109
Democrat-78
NO VOTING ON GOOD FRIDAY, APRIL 15
SATURDAY, APRIL 16:
TOTAL-134
In person-132
Absentee- 2
Republican-94
Democrat-40
MONDAY, APRIL 18:
TOTAL-125
In person-108
Absentee/one assisted living-17
Republican-87
Democrat-38
TUESDAY, APRIL 19 (SMITHVILLE)
TOTAL-132
In person-125
Absentee-7
Republican-77
Democrat-55
TUESDAY, APRIL 19 (ALEXANDRIA)
TOTAL-38 (all in person)
Republican-32
Democrat-6
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20
TOTAL-107
In person-103
Absentee-4
Republican-60
Democrat-47
THURSDAY, APRIL 21
TOTAL-161
In person-154
Absentee-7
Republican-88
Democrat-73
FRIDAY, APRIL 22
TOTAL-95
In person-93
Absentee-2
Republican-70
Democrat-25
SATURDAY, APRIL 23
TOTAL-120
In person-108
Absentee-12
Republican-90
Democrat-30
TOTAL FOR NINE DAYS COMBINED:
TOTAL-1,205
In person-1,136
Absentee-69
Republican-778
Democrat-427