Wow! Just back from voting at Karns Middle School, and they were SWAMPED!

I arrived at 2:00 pm, and head honcho Bedford Chapman begged me to pull up a chair and help. I did. For nearly five hours. No end in sight when I left at 7:00.

In fact, I was relieved by another civic-minded voter (and unscheduled worker) who didn't want to see anyone leave due to the wait.

Way to go, Knox County!

Nice rundown...thanks for the hard work typing up all of that!

Bubba, could you include the numbers for Edwards?

I saw a boatload of cars at the Vestal community center as I drove by around 6. The lower parking area was almost full and plenty of cars out front. It was the busiest I'd ever seen. #25 is heavily Democratic - hooray for us.

___________________________________
Less is the new More - Karrie Jacobs

I was appalled when I went to vote in Sevier County, Tennessee. After I showed my ID and signed in, I asked the clerk for a paper ballot. She informed me that I could only use a paper ballot IF I qualified by meeting one of the five qualifications on her copied list. She flipped the list around so I could read it and I scanned it quickly. It listed things like being handicapped, the electricity going out at the polling station, if the write in feature was not working on the voting machines or if there was some other emergency that prevented the polling place from operating as normal. I didn’t fit any of her listed categories so I told her that I just didn’t trust the voting machines. I said that I had read about these particular DRE machines and that even the state of Tennessee agrees that they are “troublesome and not reliable.” There is no way to recount the votes, if necessary. I thought that that was a valid enough reason to get a paper ballot where I would have a paper trail to track my vote in case of a recount. Apparently not so.
I asked to speak to the polling place supervisor and again requested a paper ballot. He showed me a copy of the same list of “valid reasons” to get a paper ballot. This time I looked at the list a little closer and asked him who wrote this memo? He replied that it came from “Beth.” And I of course asked, Beth, Who? He looked at me incredulously and with a straight face said, you know, “Beth,” from “the state.” Oh, I shook my head and what office does she work in, I asked. “Elections,” came the answer. I noticed that he was staring at me…I mean, there it was spelled out in black and white…“Beth” that works at “the state” in “elections” didn’t feel that I had a “valid reason” to vote on a paper ballot. Now please just move along sir and sign your ballot registration. Under his glare, I read the page again hoping to find some loophole that might qualify me to ask for a paper ballot. I noticed that “Beth” had stated in her opening paragraph that these rules were being made “in order to cut down on the amount of work and time involved in tabulating the voter totals.” I thought to myself that if Beth really worked in the state elections office and found it too difficult to tabulate the voter totals no matter how long it took, she should find some other line of work. I didn’t think the poll supervisor now really glaring at me would find my thoughts funny so I decided not to share them with him. Finally, the supervisor and I agreed that I didn’t have much choice if I wanted to vote.
As I was voting on what I was assured was a “secure” machine, I came to a place where the Tax Assessor was running unopposed. Perfect. Here would be my own little checks and balances to see if my vote actually counted. I wrote in a name that is known only to me and spelled just so. Now, when all the votes are tabulated, I can go down to my local election office and ask to see the entire vote tally. It is public record, or it used to be.
I certainly hope my secret name shows up in the voter tally for Sevier County Tax Assessor. But then, what do I do if it doesn’t, call Beth?

Jim Wilson, Feb. 08

gonna be a long night...

We got back from Mt. Olive about an hour ago. The longest line we had ever seen, prior to tonight, was maybe 10-20 people, and that was probably 2004. Tonight it was over 50. Mrs. FC counted 55 when we first took line. Took an hour to get home.

We think there were about 6 machines, or the same as every other recent election.

On the other side is the fact that the Repug ballot is very long due to the delegate list. They didn't need that four years ago. (At least they didn't think they needed a primary then. They probably wish now that they did!)

1st commission democrat
mckenzie-67
cox-23
drew-21
stancil-18
gill-15

president
obama-122
clinton-54

Dang, Bill. First!

mckinzie wins chilhowee school 31st

we still have early vote out in 10-N
so if a candidate had a strong ev could still win the fort.

It's days like today that get your blood flowing with pride for being an American. I was happy to stand in a long line to have the privelege to vote. I think it was over an hour. Time went fast as I talked with other eager voters. Yeah, Knox County for coming out so strong. I am on pins and needles waiting to see the results.

This is outstanding. I really wasn't expecting people to so soundly reject the buffoons. Owings is getting stomped despite all his radio ads and signs and Lockett not putting up much of a fight. Maybe Scoobie will do the right thing and step down as chairman since the grown-up commissioners already run the meetings anyway.

Huckabee is yapping on CNN re: his big "victory" speech. I think I just threw up in my mouth a little. He is throwing out the Jesus card over and over...How embarrassing that he is winning in TN...uggh...

I supported & worked for Cortney Piper.

Just called Amy & told her she did a great job

I pledged my support to Amy in the general.

91 of 94 reporting:

Bolus: 1,643
Broyles: 2,337

Heh. Indeed.

92 of 94 reporting:

Tyree: 26,540
Jones: 32,745

Looks like lots of Democrats came out.

Did I overlook the Property Assessor results somewhere?

I guess a more elegant way to put it is

The Wheels Of Justice Grind Slow, But They Grind Exceeding Fine--

Wasn't covering them. Sorry:

Phil Ballard 51.44%
Mike Lowe 48.56%

91 of 94 reporting.

looks like the democratic primary set a record
beating the 32,900 that voted in '72

County Clerk Democrats (91 of 94):

George Stooksbury 39.80%
Amy Henley Vandergriff 60.20%

Looks like that's that, except maybe for the Republican Trustee primary. See y'all later unless something comes up...

Oh, yeah. Check this:

(link...)

Probably won't change the outcome, though, right?

Tamara,

Thanks for your help at KMS. I was a machine operator, and we needed all the help we could get. It was absolutely nuts, and we had five workers who did not show up. It was very exciting to see such huge turnout though.

The Giants winning the Super Bowl is like... is like... is like being written up in the Halls Shopper?

Heck, tonight's game is similar to everything overcoming the likes of a hate filled, evil, tabloid Slopper.

New Englands cry baby of a coach is just like a certain tabloid bully editor girl. They try and dish it, but sure can't take it.

Betty Belicheck? Uh huh...

____________________________

With the possible exception of things like box scores, race results, and stock market tabulations, there is no such thing as Objective Journalism. The phrase itself is a pompous contradiction in terms.

If the voters are in the same mood
for the county general.

It may not matter how much money JJ has.

Didnt matter in the primaries.

Can't win Tyree

May well be

Sheriff Tyree!

Hey Knoxviews - better check your numers in the 8th district race - they are wrong. I gues wishful thinking on Your Part??????

Now that change has run through county commission it is time to turn our attention to Mike Ragsdale and misappropriation of fund and misdeeds going on in the county executive office and clean that mess out too...

Perhaps it's time to turn off anonymous posting. The right-wing nutjobs have been showing up a lot lately.

Yesterday was a very satisfying day. I read the tape off the machine at Spring Hill Elementary at about 8:05pm and immediately knew Amy had won. The results were something like 155 to 52 in her favor.

That's the second time I've stood in that gym and had that happen. In August of '06 I saw Mark Harmon's results and knew he'd won. That after spending most of the day with his opponent's son outside the polls and having to listen to him tell me how Mark was wasting his time and his dad was a lock to win.

God willing I'll have that same moment again in August.

The real shockers of the day were Kathy Bryant's crushing victory in the 6th and Amy Vandergriff's victory. I knew Kathy had a shot at winning (full disclosure... my wife is helping her with her campaign) but that was just simply incredible. To raise less than $2000 and pull off a victory like that. Wow.

But that's nothing compared to Amy Vandergriff winning COUNTY WIDE with only having raised $1300. I'm shocked.

Other points to chew on in the 2nd district:
1) Early voting was only 30% of the total turnout. Yesterday was HUGE!
2) Precinct 20 had 218 voters in this primary. In 2000 only 68 people voted and in 2004 only 56 people voted. Hell, they only mananged 305 and 385 respectively in the 2000 and 2004 November general elections.

I'm stunned.

Total votes: 92,541

That's a 302% increase over Feb '04 and a 301% increase over Mar '00. That's also 61% of the turnout from Nov '06.

Wonder how many new folks that won yesterday have been approached today by new "friends" that are willing to "help" them if they need anything. Hopefully the phrase "no thanks" is used frequently.

I dont know if this has been posted yet or not...WBIR has mapped out the local and presidential elections for Knox County.

(link...)

Any information on Mike Brown in the 9th district? I see he used to be on MPC. What was his voting record there? When I saw the MPC listing on his experience, it was a concern.

Here's a link to an article on Mike Brown in South Knox Times:
(link...)

Once Edwards dropped out and I couldn't get excited about Obama or Clinton, I decided to concentrate on local races. I voted in the republican primary so I could vote for Brown against Greene. This article, which I saw when it was first published, is all I knew about him until I talked to one of his supporters at the poll. What struck me in the article was his commitment to good land use (I know, what does he mean by that) and his statement about us being good stewards for future generations. He lives on land that has been in his family since before TN was a state - that and his fight against Jarnigan made me think he must have an appreciation for environmental issues.

Kelly