By Shannon McFarlin News Director
Paris, Tenn.—At a special meeting Tuesday, the Henry County Election Commission placed the positions of Henry County Sheriff and Henry County Mayor on the November 3 general election ballot.
Both resignations of Sheriff Monte Belew and County Mayor Brent Greer were accepted Monday night by the county commission. Belew started his new job as UT Martin Director of Public Safety today and Greer earlier announced his intention to retire.
Elections Administrator DeLaina Green said petitions will be available Wednesday morning for candidates for those offices who plan to run as Independents. For Republican or Democrat candidates, the local political parties will decide whether to conduct caucuses to nominate candidates for those positions. Green said the candidates “will need to contact the parties to see if they can be a candidate.”
Deadline for returning Independent petitions for those positions is noon September 9, she said. September 12 is the deadline for withdrawing candidacy.
Local municipal races, including Paris City Commission, will also be on the November ballot.
In other business:
–Green said 200 absentee ballots have already been handed out for the November election.
–Green said the August election went smoothly, with mostly positive feedback from the public and poll workers as to the safety measures taken by the commission for the election. She said 27 high school students worked as poll workers—which was the subject of national media attention—and she said all except one have indicated they want to work again in November. All of the adult poll workers have indicated they will be returning in November.
–Green said the state is moving toward the concept of ‘vote centers’ to replace precincts. In Henry County, such a plan would be cost-effective and she said she’ll be working in 2021 “at moving us in the direction of vote centers”.
Continuing with 13 precincts in the county “is not feasible” and Green said, “We’re looking at having six vote centers – at Harrelson, Lakewood, Henry School, Grove School, the high school and the vo-tech center.”
Under the vote center plan, voters can cast their ballots at any of the vote centers.
–The commission certified the August election and unlocked the provisional ballot bags.
Top photo: Election commission members listen as Sylvia Humphreys reads the minutes.
Commission members Bennie Akers and Stephen Goggans sign election certification papers.
Photos by Shannon McFarlin.