LYNCHBURG, Tenn. — Moore County voters cast 1,273 ballots during early and absentee voting ahead of Thursday’s August 6 primary and county general election, according to figures independently verified by The Lynchburg Times on the Tennessee Secretary of State’s website.

Of those, 1,033 were Republican primary ballots, 154 were Democratic primary ballots, and 86 were county general-only ballots that skipped the state and federal primary races entirely. Those numbers should be taken with a grain of salt. Tennessee primaries are open and with a heavily contested gubernatorial race between Marsha Blackburn, Monty Fritts, and John Rose some Democrats could have pulled Republican ballots.

What that looks like against a real baseline

The county’s May 5 primary isn’t a fair comparison point — only one name appeared on that ballot, and turnout reflected it. A more honest gauge of Moore County’s voting-age engagement is the 2024 presidential general election, the county’s highest-turnout race in recent memory. That race drew roughly 3,500 voters to the polls in Moore County.

Measured against that baseline, Moore County’s 1,273 early and absentee ballots already represent more than a third of the county’s typical top-line turnout — banked before Election Day polls even open.

Statewide, nearly 322,000 Tennesseans had voted early as of July 24, according to the Secretary of State’s office — a more than 42% increase over the same point in the 2022 primary. More than 75,000 ballots were cast in just the first two days of early voting alone, a 47% jump over 2022.

But that surge wasn’t even. The state’s 17 urban counties saw early turnout climb 72% over 2022. Rural counties — Moore County’s peer group — saw a 27% increase, less than half the urban rate.

That gap is the story worth sitting with here. Despite the fact that voters showed up here in Moore County, other rural counties carry outsized weight per capita in statewide primaries with low overall turnout — a few hundred votes can decide a county race, and a few thousand can swing a legislative district. When rural turnout lags urban turnout by that much, rural voices don’t just show up less. They get counted less, and candidates campaign accordingly.

On the ballot Thursday

Locally Moore County voters will decide heated races between incumbent Mayor Sloan Stewart and Keith Moses as well as incumbent Sheriff Tyler Hatfield and William Raline. There are also contested races for county clerk, as well as Metro Council seats in Districts 1, 2, 3, and 5. Several non-contested races also appear on the ballot alongside the state Republican and Democratic primaries for governor and other statewide offices.

No matter your party affiliation, get out there and let your voice be heard. The polls open at 8 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Folks will gather around the Lynchburg Gazebo on Thursday to hear live results as the come in. It’s a long-standing Moore County tradition and one of the things that make our little town great. •

About the Lynchburg Times: The Lynchburg Times is the only news source in Moore County owned and operated by a Lynchburg native. It’s also one of the few women-owned newspapers in the state. Our editor boasts 20 years of experience covering Lynchburg. Our readers, small business partners, and corporate underwriters support community journalism because they believe it still matters. If this story was valuable to you, consider becoming a supporter at lynchburgtimes.com.