News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Tuesday is the last day in Tennessee to request a mail-in ballot for the November 3 General Election.
Putnam County Elections Commission Administrator Michele Honeycutt said residents can hand deliver, fax or email their requests by Tuesday. Honeycutt said it’s simple for residents to check on their mail in ballot
“What a lot of people have done and it’s quick for them, they call us and they say, ‘can you tell me if you’ve received my ballot?’ Honeycutt said. “We can because anytime we mail the ballot it is recorded on their record, anytime we receive it in, it’s recorded.”
Honeycutt said there is also a Track My Ballot option on the Putnam County Elections website.
Honeycutt said the office has sent more than 2,400 absentee ballots this year, that’s up from 800 four years ago. Mail-in ballots must be received at the elections office by 7:00 PM on November 3, which she said could cause a delay.
“There’s close to 500 still out, so if those come back Election Day, it probably will delay us,” Honeycutt said. “Because they have to come in, the ballot envelope has to be opened, the outer envelope we have to compare signatures and it takes a while.”
Honeycutt said she believes her election commission can handle the 1,903 it currently has. Honeycutt said she has been receiving ballots everyday from the post office.
“I don’t know how far behind they are, I do know we’re getting about two deliveries a day,” Honeycutt said. “They are really trying to work to get these back.”
In Tennessee a mail-in ballot must be received by Election Day, even if a ballot is postmarked before November 3. The last day to request an absentee or mail-in ballot is October 27.
