Early Voting Begins Wednesday for May 3 Primaries (View video and sample ballots here)

April 10, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

It’s almost time to vote!

Early voting will be Wednesday, April 13 through Thursday, April 28 at the DeKalb County Courthouse in Smithville with limited hours at the Fairgrounds in Alexandria for the DeKalb County Democratic and Republican Primaries. This is the first time both political parties will be having a local primary to select nominees for the general election.

“Voters are reminded these are primary elections and they can only vote in one of the elections,” said Dennis Stanley Administrator of Elections. “Under state law, a voter cannot vote in two primaries which are held at the same time, such as is the case on May 3rd.”

Stanley encouraged voters to study the ballots and make their decision which primary they wish to vote in before heading to the polls, either for early voting or election day.

Early voting hours in Smithville are as follows: Mondays 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Wednesdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Thursdays 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.; Fridays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m. to Noon.

Early voting hours in Alexandria will be Tuesday April 19th from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Monday April 25 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

All properly registered voters can vote early at either location. Early voting will not be held on Good Friday.

Voters are also reminded to keep their address up to date with the election office to avoid delays when they come to vote.

A total of 57 candidates are listed between the two primary ballots with 26 of those seeking the party nomination for the seven county commission districts.

(View sample ballots at links below)

Democrat Primary Sample Ballot

Republican Primary Sample Ballot

(DeKalb County Administrator of Elections Dennis Stanley in conjunction with WJLE has produced a short video with important information of which voters should be aware for the May 3 DeKalb County Democratic and Republican Primaries. Stanley said the purpose of the video is to answer questions that voters may have to better prepare them for election day. The following is a summary of the information shared by Stanley in the vide):

Sample ballots will also be posted on the election commission website at www.dekalbelections.com and will be available at each voting location to assist the voters with their decision.

Democrat Primary Sample Ballot

Republican Primary Sample Ballot

April 10, 2022
By: Bill Conger

Three students from Middle Tennessee Tae Kwon Do in Smithville participated in the United States Chung Do Kwan Black Belt Exam at the 2022 National Taekwondo Conference on March 17 in Oviedo, Florida. Jacob Harrell tested for 1st degree black belt. Bane Averitte tested for 2nd degree black while Amy Lloyd tested for 3rd degree black belt. Madison Lack and Ivanny Earlington tested for 1st degree black belt last August in Louisville, KY, bringing to five the number of students who have tested for their black belt ranks the last six months. Master George Lloyd explains that students train from 3 to 5 years to attain a 1st degree black belt.

“Some of our students have overcome personal issues to make it to the black belt testing,” Lloyd says. “We are extremely proud of them all.”

“A black belt represents that you are a champion of his or her weaknesses,” says Lloyd. “Skill and mentality of black belt shows they understand the basics of the martial art and when to and when not to use their skills. As for each strip on the black belt, the skill mentality and understanding of the martial art increases for that student There is a long list of physical and mental activities each student at each rank must perform under stressful conditions. The students train for years to demonstrate their skills and abilities. Each higher black belt rank must perform the lower ranks material and then their new material. It can become a grueling test of stamina.”

“The average black belt testing takes 3 to 6 hours. The list of required material for testing includes a term paper, a training portfolio documenting their training, Basic fundamentals, Advanced fundamentals, One steps, Forms Free sparing, Takedowns, Self-defense, and Weapons self-defense. At the end of it all the students must do 1 minute of push-ups, 60 seconds of sit-ups, and 5 minutes of running.”

Student undergo a pre-testing to determine if they are ready for the formal black belt exam. Each activity gets a number score for an overall possible score of 100. 90 to 100 is an A, 80 to 90 is a B, and 70 to 80 is a C. Lloyd says the average score is a C+ to a B-. Lloyd says all of his students that tested completed their black belt exams above average.

“Our black belt testing requires multiple masters to sit on the testing board and to agree that the students meet the requirements,” Lloyd adds. “We also follow the United States Chung Do Kwon rules for testing, and those rules come from Korea. There are 9 colored belts to black belt, and all the fun training comes after students make black belt. There are 10 black belt ranks and a different set of training objectives for each rank.”

The Tennessee State Championships will be April 30, 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., at the DeKalb County Community Complex. Competitors are registered from Pennsylvania, Georgia, Kentucky, Alabama, Florida, and Tennessee. The tournament is open for the public to come watch.

April 9, 2022
By:

The DeKalb County Republican Party will be hosting a “Meet the Candidates Night” on Tuesday, April 12, 2022, at 6PM at the DeKalb County Complex. Each of the Republican candidates will have an opportunity to speak and voters will have an opportunity to meet them one-on-one.

“We have some great Republican Candidates running this year and we are glad to provide this important event for voters in DeKalb County,” Chairman Dustin Estes said. “For the first time, Republican voters in DeKalb County will have an opportunity to select their candidates at the ballot box. And with Early Voting beginning the next day, and Election Day three weeks from the event, there is no better time for voters to educate themselves on the conservative candidates running for office.”

Ealy Voting for the 2022 DeKalb County Republican Primary Election is Wednesday, April 13 through Thursday, April 28, and Election Day is Tuesday, May 3. Sample ballots are available through the DeKalb County Election Commission website: www.dekalbelections.com. The DeKalb County Republican Party will have additional events as we approach the County General Election in August.

For more information on this event and more, go to our Facebook Page at DeKalb County Republican Party.

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