Blount County, TN – There have been local concerns about primary ballot and Blount County parties have shared views on importance of upcoming elections.

Differences in Elections

To begin, there has been collective confusion about the length of this ballot and the significance of this primary compared to the last one.

Why is the ballot so long this year?

• According to the Election Office, the County Primary was held on May 3rd, 2022. This election hosted county and state judicial offices.
• Following, candidates who won a seat in the County Primary on May 3rd moved forward to the County General Elections. The offices in last primary now have two candidates for each competing seat in this County General Election.
• This explains the length added to the ballot this year as well as the Judicial Retention Questions.

What is the significance in this primary?

• The county primaries were important for county progression and concerns. The Federal and State Primary affect Tennessee as a whole.
• The Governor, U.S. House of Representatives, TN Senate, TN House of Representatives are running in this primary.
• This is an opportunity to vote and talk about concerns on a bigger scale.

Party Statements

Blount County Republican Statement:

I want to know how to explain the importance of this election to others, what would you say?

• “I think we would say all elections are important. This particular election is the closest to the people and the community has a chance to reach out to their elected officials. It’s the election cycle that will have the most impact on their day-to-day life. People should be getting involved because Blount County residents have the most ability to impact how they are going to be represented in this primary.”

In a general nutshell, what do you think locals are looking for in a candidate this year?

• “I think people are looking for candidates who are sharing their values. Someone who they can feel confident in and trust to keep up with the community. We’ve seen a lot of growth over the last few years, and I think the locals want to keep Blount County on track.”

What are republicans looking forward to this primary?

• “As the party, we look forward to having some knowledge and certainty in the candidates we will be supporting going to the election this November. Also, we look forward to being able vote and support our candidates in the various Republican offices up for election.”

Blount County Democratic Statement:

The Democratic Party in Blount County did not wish to make a comment at this time.

Following, Blount County parties can reach out to [email protected] for further comment.