Early voting begins on Friday, July 15 for the upcoming County General, State Primary, and Waynesboro Municipal Election. The last day for early voting will be Saturday, July 30, and the election will take place on Thursday, August 4. Those who choose not to participate in early or absentee voting will vote on Election Day at their assigned polling place.
The hours for early voting are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., and on Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon. Early voting will take place in the Election Commission Office in the basement level of the Wayne County Administrative Building (formerly the Wayne County Courthouse) on the square in Waynesboro.
Anyone voting in person during early voting or on Election Day must present a photo ID issued by the federal or Tennessee state government. To learn more about the photo ID requirements, visit the website http://sos.tn.gov/products/elections/what-id-required-when-voting.
If you wish to vote absentee by mail, you must meet certain legal requirements. A voter who wishes to vote absentee by mail must request an application for an absentee ballot. Requests for absentee ballots may be made in person at the Wayne County Election Commission office or by mail. Requests for absentee applications must be received no later than July 28, 2022. The request must include ALL of the following information:
- Name of the registered voter
- Voter’s legal residence (911 address) in Wayne County
- Voter’s date of birth
- Voter’s social security number
- Address to mail the ballot to (if different from residence address)
- Election(s) the voter wishes to vote in (which Primary)
- Reason the voter wishes to vote absentee by mail
- Voter’s signature
The county offices up for election this year are County Executive, Trustee, General Sessions Judge, Circuit Court Clerk, County Clerk, Register of Deeds, Road Superintendent, Sheriff, County Commissioner Districts 1-7, and School Board Member Districts 2, 5, and 7. All of these offices carry a four-year term.
Three seats on the Waynesboro City Commission are on the ballot – only the three incumbent commissioners seeking re-election. Three seats on the Wayne County School Board will be on the ballot as well.
Several seats on the Wayne County Board of Commissioners will be on the August ballot, some of whom are running unopposed to retain their seats. Interestingly enough, some members of the same families will be competing for a seat on the board.
Several seats will be on the ballot for the State Primary Election, including District Attorney General, Public Defender, and Circuit Court Judge. A seat in the State of Tennessee House of Representatives 71st District will be on the Primary ballot as well, with two Wayne Countians, Jason Rich and Mitchell Skelton, competing against candidates from Summertown, Mt. Pleasant, and Columbia.
This State Election is a Primary Election, which determines who will be on the ballot in the State General Election on Tuesday, November 8.
A list of voting precincts will be in next week’s edition of The Wayne County News for those who choose to wait until Election Day to vote. Anyone with questions regarding early voting or absentee voting may call the Wayne County Election Commission Office at 931-722-3517.
