Wow…. Tuesday March 5, 2024 two close elections. One in the First District Knox County Commission by five Republican votes, that one isn’t too bad. There are a YUGE majority of Democrat Primary voters in the first district and they had a competitive race for the Democrat nomination for County Commission on Tuesday. The Republican primary was as closed as an open primary election could be. That is insider baseball, maybe in a podcast I can explain that.
Then a twelve vote margin for the Republican nomination for Assessor of Property, Countywide. Even after 71 provisional ballots were opened on Friday March 8, 2024. 55 were presumably Republican or at least semi eligible. 26 were determined viable for vote counting in the Assessor of Property race. One candidate got 13, the other got 13. The margin of 12 remained.
The results of the March 5 Primaries in Knox County will be certified by the Knox County Election Commission on Wednesday March 20, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. in the Small Assembly Room of the City County Building at 400 W. Main St SW in Knoxville, TN.
Remember, I have been involved in Knox County Republican Party politics since 1982 (I was 16) that makes me a Republican of Intensely Native Origin.
In 1986, Democrat Commissioner Max Wolfe was defeated by Chris Wade by less than 5 votes. There was a re-count. Wade the Democrat challenger defeated Wolfe. Interestingly enough Wade went on to change from Democrat to Republican (primarily due to a 1988 contested partisan election Democrat -v- Republican for Knox County School Superintendent) he later was diagnosed with cancer and died before seeking re-election, as I recall and the unnamed source I conferred with prior to authoring this post.
The elections in the 1980’s and early 1990’s were with almost 7-8 foot voting booths, where you stood behind a curtain that was drawn behind you when you entered, you flipped switches and pulled a four foot lever that cast your ballot and opened the curtain. Then we resorted to the spinner dial machines in the mid to late 1990’s, those lasted until 2022 when we got the darken in the squares and scan your paper voting machines.
Too my historical knowledge as the Republican of Intensely Native Origin there has not been a recount since 1986. As I read and interpret the law, here, you have five days from March 20 to contest and seek a recount. I believe five calendar days is Monday March 25, five business days is Wednesday March 27.
