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Shelby County Votes On President, Sales Tax And Municipal School Boards Tomorrow

The presidential contest is expected to drive voter turnout across the nation and the state. Almost 1.5 million Tennesseans cast ballots early. That’s the second-highest early voting turnout in state history, just shy of 2008 totals.

Republican Senator Bob Corker is expected to win reelection handily. Not only is Corker an incumbent, but the Tennessee Democratic Party disavowed his opponent Mark Clayton saying he is “associated with a known hate group.” Clayton is a Vice-President of Public Advocate of the USA, a group the Southern Poverty Law Center designated an anti-gay hate group.  

In the 9th Congressional District, voters will decide between Democratic Congressman Steve Cohen and Republican challenger George Flinn.

In Memphis and the unincorporated county, voters will see a ballot question asking if they want a half-cent sales tax increase and in Memphis alone voters will weigh adding a 1 cent per-gallon gas tax to fund public transit.

Finally, suburbanites will elect school boards. A federal judge is weighing whether or not the state law which opened the door for municipal schools in Shelby County is constitutional, but in the meantime the suburbs are going ahead with their plans for separate schools. Across all six, 64 candidates are running for 32 seats.  

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. To find out where to vote please click here

I love living in Memphis, but I'm not from the city. I grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts. I spent many hours at a highly tender age listening to NPR as my parents crisscrossed that city in their car, running errands. I don't amuse myself by musing about the purity of destiny, but I have seriously wondered how different my life would be if my parents preferred classic rock instead of Car Talk.
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