Election Day: Here's a local guide to voting in Maury County

Mike Christen, The Daily Herald
·6 min read

It’s Election Day in Maury County.

Those who have not been a part of a major surge in early voting and the by-mail/absentee options, voters across the county will join those across the state and nation to choose who they want to see serve as their president, their legislators in Washington as well as a handful of local seats.

In Maury County voters will chose who will serve on the Columbia City Council and the Mt. Pleasant City Commission as well as those who will hold state and national seats for the years to come.

Who is on the ballot?

At the top of the ballot, voters will cast their choice for U.S. President and Vice President, as well as U.S. Senate and House.

There are also several local elections, including all five Columbia City Council seats and four seats on the Mt. Pleasant Commission.

In Columbia, three of the five races feature multiple candidates.

Ward 1's seat, which is currently held by incumbent Carl McCullen, will include his opponent Davena Hardison.

Ward 4 Councilman Mike Greene will not be seeking another term. The seat is now being sought by Maury County Commissioner Eric Previti, Andrea Sykes Poynter and Kenny Marshall.

Ward 5 has the largest number of candidates to choose from, as current Councilman Ernie Allen announced he, too, will not be seeking another term. The Ward 5 race will consist of candidates Danny Coleman, Adam Runyon, Tim Thomas and Jeremiah Wright.

Councilmen Ken Wiles and Tony Greene, representing Wards 2 and 3, are running unopposed.

In Mt. Pleasant, three of the four seats in Mt. Pleasant will be full terms, with an additional vote for an unexpired term.

Running for the the full four-year term are Willie Webster Alderson, Cedric Hollis, Monya Hunter, William E. Roddy along with incumbents,Mt. Pleasant Mayor Bill White and Commissioner Jacqueline A. W. Grandberry.

The race for the unexpired term is between incumbent local educator Eric Harvey and former city planning commissioner Lonnie R. Thomason.

The state races include a choice between Sen. Joey Hensley, R-Hohenwald, who is seeking re-election representing the 28th District against independent opponent James Gray.

Rep. Scott Cepicky, R-Culleoka, is being challenged by Democratic opponent James Campbell for another term in the State House representing the 64th District. Rep. Michael Curcio (R-Dickson) is also running for re-election against Democratic candidate Eddie Johnson for the 69th District.

Voters who are among the last to vote for the day wear masks and social distance as they wait in a long line to cast their ballots on the first day of early voting for the presidential, state and local elections at the Maury County Election Commission in Columbia, Tenn., on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020.
Voters who are among the last to vote for the day wear masks and social distance as they wait in a long line to cast their ballots on the first day of early voting for the presidential, state and local elections at the Maury County Election Commission in Columbia, Tenn., on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020.

How to vote

Do you live in the area but still have not mailed in your absentee ballot? No problem.

Local voters who will not have time to mail their ballot to the election commission can submit the document at the United States Postal Service Post Office in Columbia, at 417 West 7th St., by 3 p.m. on Tuesday.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for those registered to vote.

In order to participate, registered voters need to bring valid photo identification to the polls. A Tennessee driver license or photo ID issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Tennessee state government or the federal government are acceptable even if they are expired. College student IDs are not acceptable.

Unlike in the early voting process, Maury County residents must cast their votes in the district in which they reside.

The Maury County Election Commission hosts 21 polling stations across the county on Election Day. There is at least one polling location for each voting district.

“If you don’t know where to go, give our office a call and we would be glad to point you in the right direction,” Todd Baxter, the county's administrator of elections told The Daily Herald. “I am thankful to the workers for getting out there and getting the job done. We are certainly appreciative of our workers.”

For additional information on precinct locations and more, contact the Maury County Election Commission at (931) 375-6001, or visit https://www.maurycounty-tn.gov/.

Those who have tested positive for the virus can still cast their ballot in person by calling ahead to schedule a visit at the local election commission.

Voting machine operator Bob Henslee prepares a machine for Ellen Williams on the first day of early voting at the Maury County Election Commission in Columbia, Tenn., on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020.
Voting machine operator Bob Henslee prepares a machine for Ellen Williams on the first day of early voting at the Maury County Election Commission in Columbia, Tenn., on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020.

Maury County's voting precincts

DISTRICT 1

Riverside: Riverside Methodist Church, 313 6th Ave.

West End: West End Baptist Church, 900 W 7th St.

DISTRICT 2

First Family: First Family Baptist Church, 2709 Pulaski Highway

Highland: Highland Elementary, 1606 Highland Ave.

DISTRICT 3

College Hill: True Vine Baptist Church, 1028 Mapleash Ave.

DISTRICT 4

St. Catherine’s: St. Catherine’s Catholic Church, 3019 Cayce Lane

YMCA: Maury County Wellness & Aquatic Center, 1446 Oak Springs Drive

DISTRICT 5

Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1106 Nashville Highway

Neapolis: Spring Hill High School, One Raider Lane

DISTRICT 6

Santa Fe: Santa Fe School, 2629 Santa Fe Pike

Spring Hill Middle: Spring Hill Middle School, 3501 Cleburne Road

Theta: Theta Community Center, 2100 Gravel Hill Rd.

DISTRICT 7

Armory: National Guard Armory, 844 N James Campbell Blvd

Hampshire: Hampshire School, 4235 Old State Road

DISTRICT 8

Bear Creek: E.A. Cox Middle School, 633 Bear Creek Pike

Culleoka: Culleoka Fire Station, 2410 Valley Creek Road

DISTRICT 9

Bigbyville: Mynder’s Community Center, 3702 Bigbyville Road

Pleasant Heights: Pleasant Heights Baptist Church, 2712 Trotwood Ave.

DISTRICT 10

Mt. Pleasant: Community Center, 501 Gray LaneDISTRICT 11

Rally Hill: New Lasea Church of Christ, 1570 Lasea Road

Spring Hill: Winchester Community Center, 563 Maury Hill St.

For those living and voting outside of Maury County, the polls will open at various times depending on the location. A list of when polls open in all 95 counties is available on sos.tn.gov. In Tennessee, all polls close at 8 p.m. EST/7 p.m. CST.

Tennesseans can access voter specific information like polling times, locations, sample ballots, election results and more with the GoVoteTN app or with the Website App at GoVoteTN.com. Download the GoVoteTN app at no cost in the App Store or Google Play.

The office of the Secretary of State recommends voters cast their ballot midmorning or mid-afternoon when lines are traditionally the shortest. Early morning, noon and 5 p.m. are peak times as people typically vote before work, after work or on their lunch breaks, the office said.

Frail, physically disabled or visibly pregnant voters are advised to tell their election officials if they cannot wait in line to vote. The law allows these voters to move through the process faster.

More information about what types of ID are acceptable can be found on sos.tn.gov or by calling toll free 1-877-850-4959.

Mike Christen is the multimedia editor for The Daily Herald. Reach him at mchristen@c-dh.net and follow him on Twitter @MikeChristenCDH and @Michaelmarco on Instagram.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Herald: Election Day: Here's a local guide to voting in Maury County