As voters prepare for election day tomorrow for local county races and state and federal party primaries, the deadline is nearing for those who would like to be candidates in the upcoming November election.
In addition to the state and federal races that will appear on the ballot in November, residents of the City of Elizabethton and City of Watauga will head to polls to cast their votes for several positions in their respective cities.
For the City of Elizabethton, three seats will be up for election on the Elizabethton City Council. The terms which are ending are for the seats currently occupied by Councilmen Bob Cable and Jeff Treadway and City Mayor Curt Alexander.
Three seats on the Elizabethton Board of Education are also up for election. Those seats are currently held by Board members Phil Isaacs and Dr. Grover May and Board Chairwoman Rita Booher.
Also on the ballot for Elizabethton will be the City Judge position, which is currently held by Judge T.J. Little Jr.
In Watauga, three seats are on the ballot for the Watauga City Commission. Those positions are currently held by Dennis Hicks, Edith Smalling and Timothy Peer.
According to Carter County Administrator of Elections Tracy Harris, the elections for the City of Elizabethton and City of Watauga are “at large” elections which means the positions are not divided into districts as they are on the Carter County Commission.
When city voters of the respective cities head to the polls, they can cast their ballots for as many candidates as there are open positions in that particular race, Harris said.
For example, if 6 candidates qualify to run for the three seats on the Elizabethton City Council, voters in the city limits of Elizabethton will vote for the three candidates they want to fill those seats. Out of the qualified candidates, the three with the highest number of votes will be elected to serve on the Council.
To qualify as a candidate the person must live within the city limits of the city for which they are seeking election. Harris said interested persons must pick up a candidate petition and obtain the signatures of at least 25 registered voters who live within the city limits of the city for which the candidate is seeking election.
The deadline for candidates to file their qualification paperwork to appear on the November ballot for the City of Watauga and City of Elizabethton elections is no later than Noon on Thursday, August 18. Once the paperwork is filed and the candidate is qualified, Harris said the candidate has until August 25 at Noon to withdraw from the race. After that time, their name will still appear on the ballot whether or not they are actively campaigning or have announced a decision to withdraw from the race.
The voter registration deadline for voters to be eligible to participate in the Tuesday, Nov. 8, election is October 11. Voters must register in person at the Election Commission by that date or if they are mailing in their registration form the form must be postmarked on or before Oct. 11.
The Carter County Election Commission is located at 116 Holston Avenue. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. The office can be reached by telephone at 423-542-1822 or by email at elections@cartercountytn.gov.