The Blount County Election office says they are finalizing certification of petitions received as of yesterday's deadline and hope to have it completed this afternoon.

It appears that ten elections are already decided with candidates running unopposed (all Republicans). Five more elections will be decided in the Republican primary, with the winners running unopposed in the general.

In the remaining six competitive races, three Republican primary winners will face independent candidates in the general. Although independents do not traditionally do well, Howard Kerr could be the spoiler in the County Mayor's race.

Democrats put up a respectable roster of candidates for County Commission, including three incumbents. All are unopposed in the primary and will advance to the general.

It appears Republicans are not happy with some of the incumbents. County Mayor Jerry Cunningham drew a primary challenger, as did County Commissioners Mark Hasty, Scott Helton, Gary Farmer, Steve Hargis, Holden Lail, and Mike Walker.

Here's how it stands at the moment:

ELECTIONS DECIDED:

Incumbent Mike Lewis (R) is running unopposed for County Commission seat 2B.

Incumbent Ron French (R) is running unopposed for County Commission seat 9A.

Incumbent Monika Murrell is running unopposed for County Commission seat 9B.

Incumbent Kenneth Melton (R) is running unopposed for County Commission seat 10B.

Incumbent Tom Hatcher (R) is running unopposed for Circuit Court Clerk.

Incumbent Robert Headrick (R) is running unopposed for Genera Sessions Judge Div. 4.

Phyllis Crisp (R) is running unopposed for Register of Deeds and will replace Penny Whaley who is retiring at the end of her term.

Incumbent Bill Dunlap (R) is running unopposed for Road Superintendent.

Incumbent Scott Graves (R) is running unopposed for Trustee.

Incumbent Jim Berrong (R) is running unopposed for Sheriff.

ELECTIONS DECIDED IN PRIMARY:

Mike Caylor and Jimmy Melton will compete in the Republican primary for County Commission 3B and the winner will run unopposed in the general.

Incumbent Mark Hasty and challenger Kimberly Russell will compete in the Republican primary for County Commission 4B and the winner will run unopposed in the general.

Incumbent Scott Helton and challenger Homer Sauls will compete in the Republican primary for County Commission 6B and the winner will run unopposed in the general.

Incumbent Steve Hargis and challenger Jim Folts will compete in the Republican primary for County Commission 7A and the winner will run unopposed in the general.

Roy Gamble, James Taylor, and John Templeton will compete in the Republican primary for County Commission 8A and the winner will run unopposed in the general.

PRIMARIES DECIDED:

Incumbent Tonya Burchfield (R) and challenger Brandon Cook (D) will advance to the general for County Commission 1A.

Incumbent David Ballard (D) and challenger Shawn Carter (R) will advance to the general for County Commission 1B.

Incumbent Brad Harrison (R) will face independent challenger Everett Hoy in the general for County Commission 2A.

Incumbent Steve Samples (R) will face independent challenger Richard Hutchens in the general for County Commission 3A.

Incumbent Peggy Lambert (R) will face independent challenger Izaak Stanridge in the general for County Commission 5A.

Incumbent Bob Proffitt (D) and challenger Richard Carver (R) will advance to the general for County Commission 5B.

Independent challenger William Hill will face the Republican primary winner for County Commission 4A.

Incumbent Wendy Pitts Reeves (D) will face the Republican primary winner for County Commission 4C.

Gary Wynn (D) will face the Republican primary winner for County Commission 6A.

Linda Jo Dees (D) will face the Republican primary winner for County Commission 7B.

Independent challenger John Polk will face the Republican primary winner for County Commission 8B.

Tony Webb (D) will face the Republican primary winner for County Commission 10A.

Independent challenger Howard Kerr will face the Republican primary winner for County Mayor.

COMPETITIVE PRIMARIES:

Incumbent Jerry Cunningham will face challenger Ed Mitchell in the Republican primary for County Mayor. The winner will face independent Howard Kerr in the general.

Incumbent Gary Farmer will face challenger Jerry Harvey in the Republican primary for County Commission 4A. The winner will face independent William Hill in the general.

Jerome Moon and Billy Gribble will compete in the Republican primary for County Commission 4C. The winner will face incumbent Wendy Pitts Reeves (D) in the general.

Incumbent Holden Lail will compete with challengers Steve Hicks and Sheri Turner in the Republican primary for County Commission 6A. The winner will face challenger Gary Wynn (D) in the general.

Tom Greene and Tom Cole will compete in the Republican primary for County Commission 7B. The winner will face Linda Jo Dees (D) in the general.

Incumbent Mike Walker will face challenger Gordon Wright in the primary for County Commission 8B. The winner will face independent John Polk in the general.

Left to right: Brandon Cook, Dave Finch (former Blount Co. Democratic Party Chair), and Joe Gallagher (Louisville Alderman and local political activist)

Supporters gathered at the Blount Co. Library this evening for the launch of Brandon Cook's campaign for County Commission representing the 1st District. The crowd of almost 60 included a "who's who" of Blount County Democrats and quite a number of fresh new faces.

Regarding his early entry into the race, Brandon said there is a lot of work to be done and it's never too soon to get started. He says he has a lot to talk about with voters between now and the April 14th start of early voting for the May 4th primary. He also says he won't be afraid to tell them he's a Democrat.

In his refreshingly short announcement speech, Mr. Cook said the reason he is running is simple: he cares about Blount County and Tennessee.

He said his campaign will focus on four things. First, we need to make investments in our local economy, and second, the best investment we can make is education. Third is bringing us back together as a community. Despite the perception that we are divided, Mr. Cook said there is a lot that unites us. He said the only promise he will make is that we won't always agree, but that this is healthy and we must work through the issues, lock arms, and march forward together to make our community better. Fourth, he said his campaign will be about "you, the citizens of Blount County." He wants to hear from you about your concerns and where you think the county's priorities should be.

Judging from some of the rumors and speculation among attendees, there will be a lot of interest and maybe a few surprises in the next round of Blount County elections. Lest there be any doubt about that, both local papers were there to cover Brandon's announcement.

Brandon Cook is a fifth-generation Blount County native who has worked tirelessly behind the scenes over the past several years for a more progressive Blount County. We are happy to see him take on the challenge of public office. He's sharp, well spoken, and knows what he's doing. We need more young people like Brandon in public service.

If you'd like to help out Brandon's campaign, you can visit his website and volunteer or make a donation:

Brandon D. Cook for County Commission

Support Barack Obama for President!

Don't forget to vote.

The Blount Country Democratic Party has bumper stickers and yard signs.

Yard signs: $5.00
Bumper stickers: $2.00

Call first (865-379-8683) to make sure someone is manning the office.

Also, don't forget the Friday Happy Hours, 5:00PM to 7:30PM.

Bring your own soft drinks (beer and wine permitted) plus finger food/snacks and a lawn chair. This is an excellent opportunity for Democrats (and others) to socialize and discuss important issues.

Blount Country Democratic Party
305 Ellis Avenue
Maryville, TN

The deadline for registering to vote in the Nov. 4th election is October 6th.

The easiest way to register is:

1. Print out this form.
2. Fill it out.
3. Mail it in.

The above form works for any county in Tennessee. The county election commission offices, addresses, and phone numbers are listed on the back. It must be postmarked no later than 10/6/08.

If you have friends, family, co-workers, etc. who need to register, print out copies of the form for them, help them fill it out, and make sure they mail it in no later than October 6th.

You can also print out multiple copies of this form and use it for voter registration drives.

If you are outside Tennessee, this form works for any state in the U.S.

Here is a page with information for overseas and military voters.

Here is a comprehensive directory of all U.S. state and local election officials.

Here is the U.S. Election Assistance Commission Voter Information Center page.

REGISTER. VOTE. REGISTER OTHERS.

Help spread the word. Here is a zip archive of the netroots voter registration drive button, HTML to display this button on your website with a link to this page, and the HTML text of this page for posting on your own blog or web site. Post it, forward it, promote it.

The Maryville Daily Times reports that a lawyer for the Tennessee Division of Elections has advised Blount Co. Election Commission that a "special election" to fill the General Sessions Court judge vacancy is not allowed according to a 1984 Attorney General ruling and that County Commission must appoint a replacement.

According to the article, the Tennessee Division of Elections lawyer was not aware of the same scenario in Knox Co., in which Knox County is planning a November election to replace a General Sessions Court judge who was elected to Circuit Court. The lawyer said "maybe" it has something to do with Knox County's home rule charter.

Knox County's home rule charter Article IV, Sec. 4.02 says "If a vacancy occurs in any judicial office of the General Sessions or Juvenile Court, or in any other County judicial office established by law or by this Charter in Knox County, then that vacancy shall be filled by a vote of the Commission as prescribed in this Charter, and the person so selected shall serve until his/her successor is elected and sworn."

It would actually seem more clear that Knox County cannot hold an election. (Unless the charter means for the appointment to be temporary until the next election. The charter does not appear to be as specific as state law on that.) On the other hand, state law applies in Blount County case, and state law seems to directly contradict the Tennessee Constitution. Guess somebody needs to fix that.

It should also be noted that the November election is not a "special" election. It is a regularly scheduled general election. So it's not clear if the 1984 AG opinion applies. In fact, state law specifically states that vacancies occurring in a 120 day window before the November election are to be filled by party convention nominations and a November election.

But we assume nobody will press the issue with Blount County to seek further clarification, and they will do whatever they want to do as usual.

The Nashville Post has obtained a copy of Raymond Finney's request to the TNGOP for a recount. Under "reasons," he levels some pretty serious allegations regarding voting irregularites in Sevier County.

(By way of ACK at Post Politics)

The Maryville Daily Times reports on the question of whether there should be an election to replace Judge Duggan in Sessions Court. (See previous discussion here at BlountViews.)

Blount GOP Chair and Mayor Jerry Cunningham's assistant county mayor and financial director Dave Bennett invokes the Tennessee Constitution. This could end up being a test of the Tennessee Plan. We're certain he's aware of the controversy surrounding that.

Is Sessions Court Judge, basically a "justice of the peace," a county office or state office?

According to WBIR and MDT, Raymond Finney has filed a formal request for a recount with the Tennessee Republican Party. Reports say the TNGOP referred it to State Election Coordinator Brook Thompson to advise on the procedure and the cost.

The TNGOP executive committee will make the final determination. They have not been very receptive to such requests in the recent past (see here and here).

Maryville Daily Times Editorial: Election results reflect lack of voter concern

That is pathetic when regardless of administrations, local, state or national, we hear almost continuous complaints about government. It is our opinion that a person eligible to register to vote and a registered voter who is too uninterested in government to cast a ballot deserves what they get. And as far as most ears are concerned, they lose their right to voice complaints.

On a certain level I agree. I'm not sure who "most ears" are (I can guess), but I have to disagree that anyone who doesn't vote loses their right to voice complaints. The First Amendment says everybody has a right to "petition the Government for a redress of grievances," whether they vote or not. I agree, though, that it's inconsistent to complain and then not vote.

But here's where the MDT argument breaks down. Do we get what we deserve, or do we get what the backroom mechanics of the local political establishment and the MDT decide we need? Perhaps voters are conditioned by so many years of the same old same old from the same old same old that there's no expectation of anything different so why bother?

But you have to give the local Republican political establishment credit for creating this environment. They have a reliable base of voters they can get to the polls every time. And they have created an atmosphere where only a very few brave souls would even dare consider dragging themselves and their families through the mud to oppose them.

So the GOP machine is doing it's job and they're good at it. Local Democrats, progressives, and independent minded people interested in better government, however, are not doing their job. Job one is getting out to vote.

Here are some interesting facts. On Aug. 7th, 6,451 people voted for Democrat Mike Meares for Circuit Court Judge, the only contested partisan race on the ballot.

In Blount County, 9,305 people voted in the Feb. 2008 Democratic presidential primary. 13,373 Blount County voters voted for Democrat Harold Ford Jr. in the 2006 U.S. Senate election. 23,433 voted for Democrat Phil Bredesen for Governor in that same election. 15,042 voted for Democrat John Kerry for President in 2004.

Where did all those Democrats and Independents go? Democrats, progressives, and independent minded voters had a real chance to throw a monkeywrench, so to speak, in the cogs of the local GOP machine. So why didn't they show up?

Races for President, U.S. Senate and Governor certainly draw more interest than the election of a local judge. But here's another interesting fact. More people voted in the Aug. 7th Circuit Court election than voted for Blount County Mayor in Aug. 2006. And Judge Mike Meares got more votes in the Feb. primary than he did in the Aug. general election!

What this suggests is that while there appeared to be heightened interest (as compared to usual voter apathy) in the Circuit Court election, negative campaigning works -- primarily to suppress the opposition vote.

(It should also be noted that the local newspapers here and in Knoxville played a role in ginning up controversy where none really existed, which may account for some of the increased interest but not in a good way.)

The only puzzling thing is why run a negative smear campaign via swiftboating surrogates when you're starting out with a huge advantage? The answer, I suppose, is that the GOP establishment is good at their job. They take no prisoners, give no quarter, and leave nothing to chance.

That's something Democrats in Blount County, and all across America, are going to have to learn if we want to be a viable opposition party in the interest of better government.

In a front page article, the Knoxville News Sentinel reports this morning:

Having won the Republican primary, Overbey will win the office because there is no Democratic opposition.

I guess Independent Ira Lapides dropped out and I didn't hear about it.

I emailed KNS Editor Jack McElroy to ask about it, and now the online version of the story has been altered:

Having won the Republican primary, Overbey will face Independent Ira Lapides of Gatlinburg in the general election in November.

So are they going to send someone out to 150,000 homes with Sharpies to correct the print edition?

They really shouldn't do this. They should put an editor's note at the bottom explaining that the original article had an error that was corrected online and that the print edition still contains the error. I don't think it helps their credibility when the print edition doesn't agree with the online version and there's no explanation as to why.

(But yeah, Overbey will "probably" win.)

Here.

Stopped by the Alcoa precinct at lunchtime. Business was slow. A poll worker said it had been slow all day, as slow as he recalls ever seeing it.

Just as I arrived, a couple of Meares campaign workers were being asked to move their post a little further away from the polling place door. It was the second time. Poll workers were measuring it off with what looked like a sewing tape or something.

Here's Meares campaign worker Zack Nyein manning his station in its final resting place.

They had first set up to the left of the dumpster, closer to the polling place entrance near the orange cones. The boundary was not clearly marked, so they were guessing. A poll worker came out and asked them to move a little further away, pointing to the sign across the parking lot near the street, which you can see next to the entrance near the phone poles (the short white sign).

Their second setup appeared to be outside the boundary, but someone complained anyway so they moved again to this spot. Hope they're still there, and not forced to moved over to Springbrook Park or something.

Local races to watch:

• Mike Meares v. David Duggan, Circuit Court Judge Div. II

• Patrica Bell v. Brad Long, School Board District 6

State primaries of interest:

• Jim Bishop v. Raymond Finney v. Doug Overbey, R TN SEN 08

• Steve Hargis v. Jim Melton v. Tona Monroe-Ball v. Bob Ramsey, R TN REP 20

More state races of interest at TennViews...

It has come to our attention that some voters may be receiving misleading phone calls regarding the vote tomorrow.

Here are the facts. There are three elections tomorrow: A state Democratic primary, a state Republican primary, and a Blount County general election.

Regardless of which party primary you vote in, all Blount County voters can vote in the Blount County general election, and your ballot will have ALL the Blount County general election candidates including Judge Mike Meares.

In other words, even if you vote in the Republican primary, you can vote for Judge Mike Meares in the Blount County general election.

If anyone calls you saying otherwise or someone from the local Republican establishment tries to confuse you on this, you should ask yourself a simple question: who is for legitimate elected government by the people and who is fighting democracy by way of misinformation and voter disenfranchisement? Then vote accordingly.

(You should also ask yourself why the local Republican establishment would insult your intelligence by suggesting you are stupid enough to believe such nonsense.)

Tomorrow (Thursday) is an important day in Blount County. It's when we vote. Voting is a right paid for in blood and a duty we must honor.

Voting is the only say we have in government. Wealthy businessman and lawyers seem to believe government is for sale to the highest bidder. Don't let them get away with it. All the money in Blount County can't buy your vote unless you let it by sitting idly by. Your vote is yours and yours alone. Use it, and use it wisely.

This is your chance to have your voice heard. Send a message: Government by the People, for the People.