Early Voting Begins Wednesday, April 15

Early voting for the upcoming County Republican Primary will begin on Wednesday, April 15, and will continue through Thursday, April 30. Those who choose not to participate in early voting will vote at their assigned precinct on Tuesday, May 5, 2026. The deadline to register to vote in the Republican Primary has already passed; the deadline was April 6, 2026.

Early voting will take place at the Election Commission office in the courthouse on the square, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., and Saturday, 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon.

Anyone voting in person during early voting or on Election Day must present a photo ID issued by the federal or Tennessee state government. These IDs may be current or expired. College student IDs and photo IDs issued by cities, counties, and other states will NOT be accepted.

Voters who wish to vote absentee by mail must meet certain legal qualifications. Voters may either request an absentee ballot in person at the Wayne County Election Commission office, or by mail, request an application for an absentee ballot. Requests for absentee ballot applications must be received no later that April 25, 2026. A request received by mail will serve as an application for a ballot only if it contains all of the following: name of the registered voter, voter’s legal residence (911 address) in Wayne County, voter’s social security number, voter’s date of birth, address to mail the ballot to (if different from residence address), election(s) the voter wishes to vote in, reason the voter wishes to vote absentee by mail, and voter’s signature.

The Republican Primary Election, to be held on May 5, 2026, will only affect candidates who have declared themselves as Republicans. The Wayne County Democrat Party chose not to call for a primary this year; therefore, only a Republican Primary will be held in May. The ballot for the County General Election, to be held on Thursday, August 6, will only have one Republican listed for each district or county office - the one who receives the most votes in the Republican Primary. Candidates who have not declared a Republican Party affiliation will ALL be on the General Election ballot, listed as Independents. Choosing to run as an Independent ensures that a candidate’s name will be on the final ballot; however, in doing so, those candidates are separating themselves from any affiliation to the two major parties.

The county offices that will be on the ballot in the May 5 Republican Primary Election are:

• County Executive, 4-year term

• County Commissioner Districts 1-7, 4-year term

• Trustee, 4-year term

• Sheriff, 4-year term

• Circuit Court Clerk, 4-year term

• County Clerk, 4-year term

• Register of Deeds, 4-year term

• Road Superintendent, 4-year term

• School Board Members Districts 2 and 5, 4-year term

For more information about early voting and other election information, contact the Wayne County Election Commission at 931-722-3517. Regular office hours are Monday, Thursday, and Friday, 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., and Wednesday, 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon,