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According to the Nashville Tennessean over 200,000 Tennesseans cast ballots on the first day of early voting. In addition to the U.S. presidential race, Tennesseans will vote in the U.S. Senate race and nine congressional races this year. All 99 state House seats are on the ballot – 66 of which are contested – along with 16 state Senate races, 13 of which are contested.

Early voting in Tennessee runs through Oct. 31. Election Day is on Nov. 5.

Early and absentee voting remains popular in Tennessee, with nearly two-thirds of the nearly three million votes cast in 2020 coming before Election Day.

Despite the early voting numbers many Americans continue to struggle with civic engagement, as they feel their voice or vote “doesn’t matter.”

However, we believe that voices are louder in numbers, and if people want their vote to matter, it’s up to them to make it count.

Though millions of people vote, ultimately the presidential winner could ultimately be decided by a handful of voters – less than the attendance of a baseball or football game. However, in a system where every ballot is equal, it’s irresponsible to assume your vote won’t be taken seriously.

Politics, as messy or unpleasant as it may be, directly impacts our lives. The decisions we make at ballot boxes will have a greater impact on our livelihoods than those of the generations before us.

Early voting is a convenient way to take part in the democratic process. This period was created to make the election process more accessible for the electorate by not limiting the voting option to just one day.

Plan, prepare and, if you can, vote early to avoid potential issues or delays. 

Voting access is not afforded to everyone and it’s certainly not granted to citizens in every corner of the world. A lot is riding on this year’s races. Why would anyone not want to have a say in the future of our government at such a critical time in our nation’s history?

Every election is important and this one has significant consequences.

Early voting hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays at the Carter County Election Commission Office complex located on Holston Avenue through Thursday, Oct. 31. Early voting will also be held Saturday, Oct. 19 and 26 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. Remember that photo identification is required. To vote early, a person must appear in person at the county election commission office.

There are many advantages to voting early, namely being able to choose a day during the early voting period that best fits the voter’s schedule and the voter being able to change his or her address of registration and vote in the same voting location.

The important thing is to vote, whether it be during the early voting period or on Election Day.