Almost 30,000 absentee ballots have been mailed to Davidson County voters for the August 6 election, but only half of them have been voted and sent back. Election officials urge immediate return, as ballots must be received by mail in the Davidson County Election Commission office by the time the polls close on Election Day.
“One first-class ($.55) stamp is all that is needed,” says Jeff Roberts, administrator of elections. “We need our absentee voters to mark their ballots, seal them in their signed, absentee ballot envelope, and get those ballots in the mail to us now. The Post Office said to allow 7 days for return, and we’re getting very close to Election Day.”
“New requests for absentee ballots continue to pour in ahead of the July 30 deadline,” continued Roberts. “These voters need to take immediate action, once they receive their ballots from us. Please, do not delay in returning them to our office.”
Additional staff has been added to process last-minute requests and returned ballots. “We’re staying on top of the mountains of mail, but could use some help from our voters,” Roberts explained. “They can track their absentee ballots online at Voter Registration Information Lookup. The site is updated daily with the date their ballot was issued and the date their ballot was received in our office. We encourage them to check on the status of their ballot.”
For voters who prefer to vote in person, 11 Early Voting sites are open through Saturday, August 1. In addition to social distancing, COVID-19 safety protocols include Poll Officials wearing PPE and hand sanitizer available upon entry and exit of each polling place. Voters are encouraged to wear face coverings. One-use pens and recyclable ballot marking devices will enable safe, touchless voting.
The Davidson County Election Commission is responsible for providing free and fair elections to every eligible citizen. The Election Commission is regulated by State of Tennessee law and funded by Metropolitan Nashville government. The main office is located at 1417 Murfreesboro Pike, Nashville, TN 37217.