Early Voting in Special Primary Election Begins Wednesday, September 17th

The Wayne County Election Commission will conduct early voting beginning Wednesday, September 17, 2025, for the October 7, 2025, Special Primary Election. The special election is being held to fill the unexpired term of U.S. Representative Mark Green, who announced his retirement in June of this year.

Rep. Green stated he was offered a private sector opportunity “that was too exciting to pass up.” The move came just more than a year after Green announced he would not run again in 2024, but changed his mind when fellow Republicans implored him to stick around.

Rep. Green served as the Freshman Class President in the 116th Congress following his election in 2018. At the beginning of the 118th Congress, Rep. Green was selected as Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, becoming the only member of Congress to be selected at the start of their third term to chair a major legislative committee in the 21st century.

Early voting is taking place at the Election Commission office in the Wayne County Administrative Building (former courthouse) on the square in Waynesboro beginning Wednesday, September 17, and continuing through Thursday, October 2. The hours are Monday through Friday, 8am-4pm, and Saturday, 8am-12 noon. Those who choose not to participate in early voting for the primary may vote at their assigned precinct the day of the primary, Tuesday, October 7, 2025.

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.

If you wish to vote absentee by mail, you must meet certain legal requirements. A voter who wishes to vote absentee by mail must request an application for an absentee ballot. Requests for absentee ballots may be made in person at the Wayne County Election Commission office or by mail, and must be received no later than September 27, 2025. The request must include ALL the following information: name of the registered voter, voter’s legal residence (911 address) in Wayne County, voter’s social security number, address to mail the ballot to (if different from residence address), election(s) the voter wishes to vote in (which Primary), legal reason the voter wishes to vote absentee by mail, and voter’s signature.

Candidates on the ballot in the Republican Primary are Jody Barrett, Gino Bulso, Stuart Cooper, Adolph Agbeko Dagan, Mason Foley, Jason D. Knight, Joe Leurs, Stewart Parks, Lee Reeves, Matt Van Epps, and Tres Wittum.

Candidates in the Democratic Primary are Aftyn Behn, Darden Hunter Copeland, Vincent Dixie, and Bo Mitchell.

For more information about early voting and other election information, contact the Wayne County Election Commission at 931-722-3517 or visit GoVoteTN.gov.