Hamilton County has had 117,253 votes cast thus far as early voting ended Thursday. That includes 109,934 early votes, with the remainder absentee.
Williamson, Wilson and Loudon counties had the highest turnout with over 50 percent of voters turning out. Williamson had the highest turnout at 57 percent. Bledsoe had the lowest turnout at 28 percent.
Almost half of the 22,349 registered voters in Rhea County helped set a record for turnout with 9,649 persons coming out to vote.
In 2020, 8,797 turned out for early voting.
Amy Birdsong, deputy administrator of Elections, said there was a line in place and was steady till 6:15 with people still voting as the 31st was the last day to vote early in person.
Those who haven’t voted will be able to do so Tuesday. Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters are required to show photo identification when they arrive at the polls. Accepted forms of identification include any photo ID issued by the state of Tennessee – including drivers license – and photo IDs issued by the federal government, including U.S. passports, government employee identification cards, and military ID cards.
The Rhea County Election Commission kept polls open for early voting on Tuesdays and Thursdays until 6 p.m.
“We have done this before and it really works out well for people getting off work in the evenings,” said Felicia Goodman, administrator of Elections.
Besides the presidential office, U.S. Senate and Congress, Rhea Countians also are voting for state representative.
According to the Secretary of State's office, some 42 percent of Tennesseans have turned out statewide to vote.
In other counties in the 31st district, Bledsoe County had 2,583 votes, Sequatchie County 5,095, and Van Buren 1,844.