July 24, 2020
By: Dwayne Page
Turnout for early voting has been brisk even with COVID-19 concerns. Although requests for absentee ballots have been up, many people are coming in person to vote as well.
A total of 779 people have taken advantage of early voting for the August 6 elections through Friday, July 24.
According to the DeKalb County Election Commission Office, 111 people cast ballots Friday including 104 in person and 7 absentees. Of that number 85 voted in the Tennessee Republican Primary, 24 in the State Democratic Primary, and 2 voted only in the DeKalb County General Election without voting in either state primary.
The City of Smithville vote stands at 246 total through Friday including in-person and absentee ballots and property rights voters. Twenty five people voted Friday.
For the first seven days of early voting a total of 504 have voted in the Tennessee GOP primary, 249 in the Tennessee Democratic Primary, and 26 have voted only in the DeKalb County General Election without voting in either state primary.
Early voting started Friday, July 17 and runs Monday to Saturday until Saturday, Aug. 1 in the downstairs courtroom of the courthouse.
Hours for early voting are Mondays 1-5 p.m.; Tuesdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Wednesdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Thursdays 2-6 p.m.; Fridays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 12 noon. Election day voting at all 15 precincts will be from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, August 6.