Both Overton County and Jackson County polling precincts have seen voting lines Tuesday morning with steady turnout throughout the day. Pickett County voting numbers have been low with some early lines.
Overton Administrator Craig Story said early estimates show the county will easily top 2016’s total voting turnout.
“The anecdotal reports we have gotten looks like it is going to be pretty good,” Story said. “We have had some lines that we started out with this morning. People waiting to get started, nothing too long. We are showing some interest out in the county. Pretty good start to the day.”
Story said so far, there has been no issues at any voting locations, and absentee ballots have came in as expected. Story said the Livingston and Rickman precincts have the highest turnout with both locations having lines early this morning.
“They had a good turnout early,” Story said. “Both of those places had over 50 percent of the eligible voters that voted early. That should not be anything they can not handle today.”
Jackson Administrator Clay Thaxton said all voting precincts saw early lines this morning, especially on the outskirts of the county.
“It is hard for me to know what to expect. I think we will have a good turn out today,” Thaxton said. “I do not know if everybody came out and voted early, and it may not be as busy as I think it will be today, but I think we will have a bigger turnout then 2016.”
Thaxton said the county has not received all of its absentee ballots yet, but Thaxton said he does not expect this to be an issue as the day continues.
Pickett County Elections Administrator Tim Clark said early voting knocked off a large portion of his election day voters.
Clark said that as of 10:30 AM the county had seen 98 combined voters at his three larger precincts. Clark said with the county’s six other precincts added in, he does not believe there would be much of a change in that number.
“Bolestown and Barnes Ridge there’s just over 100 voters total, so it’s going to be way less than 100 as of right now, ” Clark said. “Over 100 voters right at this moment sounds pretty accurate.”
Clark said even though the community center has only seen 29 voters, there were three or four waiting in line. Clark said he does not expect to receive any more absentee ballots, but will double check at 3:15 PM.
