Oliver Springs liquor vote, Norris Council race remain close

Unofficial results from Tuesday’s election remained close on an Oliver Springs liquor referendum and the race for a fifth seat on the Norris City Council, and it wasn’t clear how provisional ballots could change the final vote tallies.

Oliver Springs voters appeared to have rejected the liquor referendum, with 486 voting yes and 519 voting “no” in Anderson and Roane counties. The referendum would allow package stores to sell alcoholic beverages.

But there are about 50 provisional ballots in Anderson County and an unknown number in Roane County, election officials said Wednesday. It wasn’t clear how many of those were from Oliver Springs, or how the ballots and a post-election audit might affect the final vote when results are certified Nov. 19.

Results in the race for four of the five seats on Norris City Council seemed clear. Chris Mitchell, Bill Grieve Jr., Loretta A. Painter, and Jack Black all received more than 500 votes, according to the unofficial results.

But the write-in race between four candidates competing for a fifth seat was close. York Haverkamp had 166 write-in votes and Eugene F. Oates had 154.

Anderson County Election Commission Administrator Mark Stephens said the write-in ballots will have to be checked vote by vote.

“We have really never had to do this in the past,” he said.

In other races in Anderson County, Steven R. Emert received the most votes in the special election to represent District 3 on Anderson County Commission. That district includes Andersonville, Fairview, Norris, and Glen Alpine. Former commissioner Johnny Alley resigned from the seat after he was elected Anderson County property assessor in the Aug. 2 election.

Also Tuesday, Shain Vowell and Andrew Howard won two seats on Lake City City Council, Vowell with 231 votes and Howard with 191.

Most of the other results mirrored results in larger regions, with the exception of the presidential race. Republican Bob Corker beat Democrat Mark E. Clayton in the U.S. Senate race, Republican Chuck Fleischmann defeated Democrat Mary M. Headrick in the battle to represent Tennessee’s Third District in the U.S. House of Representatives, and Republican Dennis Powers trounced Independent Virgil Kidwell.

Live election results posted, early totals available

Midtown Community Center Voting

Rex Sanders, left, picks up his voting machine code before casting a ballot at the Midtown Community Center on Tuesday afternoon. Also pictured is poll worker Dave Anderson.

Note: This story was last updated at 9:37 p.m.

Voting results are being posted on the Anderson County Election Commission website.

The results below, which include early voting and absentee ballots, will be updated, and we’ll post the new numbers here as we can.

The following results include 26 of 28 precincts in Anderson County. We’ll add Roane County election results as we can. The early voting and absentee ballot results in Roane County don’t contradict the current Anderson County results in the Oak Ridge City Council or Board of Education elections, or the Oliver Springs liquor referendum.

 

Oak Ridge City Council (five seats):

Trina Baughn—5,842 (23 percent)

Kelly Callison—4,641 (18.3 percent)

L.C. “Charlie” Hensley—5,298 (20.9 percent)

Charles J. “Chuck” Hope Jr.—5,718 (22.5 percent)

Ellen Smith—3,909 (15.4 percent)

 

Oak Ridge Board of Education (two seats):

Leonard Abbatiello—4,287 (24.9 percent)

Angi Agle—6,603 (38.4 percent)

Keys Filauer—6,319 (36.7 percent)

 

Tennessee House of Representatives, 33rd District:

John Ragan, Oak Ridge Republican—12,810 (51.4 percent)

Jim Hackworth, Clinton Democrat—12,114 (48.6 percent)

 

Oliver Springs liquor referendum (To allow retail package stores to sell alcoholic beverages in the city of Oliver Springs):

Yes—360 (50.2 percent)

No—357 (49.8 percent)

 

Clinton charter question (To move Clinton general elections from December of odd-numbered years to November of even-numbered years):

For—2,556 (75.7 percent)

Against—819 (24.3 percent)

Last weekend of early voting

Early Voting 2012

Members of the Oak Ridge Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. voted early. Pictured from left to right are Karen Lott, Arnetha Johnson, Dean Sheard, Yolanda Childs, Elvira Hodges, Deloris Collins, Donna Beidleman, and Roslyn Eskridge. (Photo by Kathy Fahey)

Early voting ends Nov. 1, and this weekend is the last weekend to cast ballots early at local polling stations for the Nov. 6 election.

Tennessee officials said voters continued their strong early turnout Wednesday, with more than 100,000 voters again casting ballots. As of Wednesday, more than 700,000 voters had already cast their ballots in seven days.

“I am pleased with the turnout we have seen during this first week of early voting,” Secretary of State Tre Hargett said. “I expect turnout to remain strong as we approach the end of early voting next week.”

In Oak Ridge, members of the Oak Ridge Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. voted early.

“We wanted to demonstrate the importance of voting, especially early voting by ‘strolling to the polls,’” chapter member Arnetha Johnson said.

In Anderson County, early voting hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays.

Anderson County voters can cast ballots at the Clinton Community Center at 101 Hicks St. in Clinton, Midtown Community Center at 102 Robertsville Road in Oak Ridge, and North Anderson County Government Office at 3310 Andersonville Highway in Norris.

For more information about early voting in Anderson County, visit the Anderson County Election Commission website.

In Roane County, early voting hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays.

Early voting locations in Roane County are Rockwood Community Center at 710 N. Chamberlain Ave. in Rockwood, Harriman Community Center at 631 Clinch St. in Harriman, and Roane County Courthouse at 200 E. Race St., Suite 8 in Kingston, and First Christian Church at 100 Gum Hollow Road in Oak Ridge.

For more information about early voting in Roane County, visit the Roane County Election Commission website.

Nov. 6 election features city council, county commission, school board candidates

Note: This story was updated at 4:06 p.m.

There are 17 candidates eligible for election to 10 city council seats in Oak Ridge, Norris, and Lake City in the Nov. 6 election.

There are also nine candidates in a special election for Anderson County Commission District 3. Commissioner Johnny Alley gave up that seat after he became Anderson County property assessor in the Aug. 2 election.

In addition, there are three candidates for Oak Ridge Board of Education and one candidate for Oak Ridge City Judge.

The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 8. Early voting starts Oct. 17 and runs through Nov. 1, Anderson County Election Commission Administrator Mark Stephens said Thursday.

[Read more...]

November election features city council, judge, school board

The three incumbent Oak Ridge City Council members—L. Charles “Charlie” Hensley, Charles J. “Chuck” Hope Jr., and Ellen Smith—have picked up qualifying petitions to run in the Nov. 6 election, and Trina Baughn, the first-time candidate defeated days ago in the Aug. 2 special election, plans to run again in November.

Also qualifying to run in November is Kelly S. Callison, who sought an appointment to City Council after former member Tom Hayes resigned in June 2011.

There are three seats available. They are the seats now held by Hensley, Hope, and Smith. Hope was appointed to the position after Hayes resigned.

Meanwhile, former Oak Ridge City Council member Leonard Abbatiello has picked up a petition to run for school board, and the two incumbents, Angi Agle and Keys Fillauer, have also picked up petitions, said Stephanie Gamble, Anderson County Election Commission deputy administrator.

She said Oak Ridge City Judge Robert A. McNees III has also qualified to run in November.

[Read more...]

New voter ID law not a problem in Anderson County

A new voter photo identification law challenged in court has not caused a significant problem in Anderson County, Election Administrator Mark Stephens said Tuesday.

The new law, which went into effect this year, says registered voters in Tennessee have to show government-issued photo identification to cast ballots at polling places.

[Read more...]