AND I'M TEARSA SMITH WE'RE YOUR
LOCAL ELECTION HEADQUARTERS - AS
YOU AND YOUR
NEIGHBORS MAKE BIG DECISIONS
ABOUT THE FUTURE OF OUR
COMMUNITIES AND OUR COUNTRY.
DOUG;
IT'S ELECTION DAY...
DOUG:
AND WE'VE HAD CREWS OUT
SINCE BEFORE THE POLLS OPENED IN
KNOX COUNTY AT 8 THIS MORNING.
YOU'RE LOOKING AT VIDEO FROM THE
CEDAR BLUFF VOTING LOCATION -
WHERE - WITH LOTS OF VOTERS
INTERESTED IN THESE RACES AND
WITH SOCIAL DISTANCING IN
PLACE... WE SAW THE LINES
SNAKING
THROUGH THE HALLWAYS OF THE
MIDDLE SCHOOL AND OUT ONTO THE
SIDEALK.
TEARSA:
WE SAW LONG LINES FROM THE VERY
START OF EARLY VOTING - AND
SO ELECTION ADMINISTRATORS HAVE
BEEN PREPPING TO
WELCOME BIG NUMBERS OF VOTERS
TODAY AND ADDRESS
CONCERNS ABOUT COVID-19.
DOUG:
WE SENT WATE 6 ON YOUR SIDE
REPORTER KIRSTIE CRAWFORD TO SEE
THE PROCESS IN ACTION - AT
DOGWOOD ELEMENTARY.
KIRSTIE CRAWFORD PACKAGE HERE
POLLS ARE NOW OPEN IN THE 2020
GENERAL ELECTION. WHILE ALL
POLLS IN TENNESSEE CLOSE AT 8
P.M. EST/ 7 P.M. CST, THE
OPENING TIME FOR POLLING PLACES
VARY BY COUNTY. CLICK HERE TO
CHECK WHEN POLLING PLACES IN
YOUR
COUNTY OPEN.
TENNESSEE SAW RECORDING BREAKING
EARLY VOTING
NUMBERS WITH MORE THAN HALF OF
REGISTERED
TENNESSEANS ACROSS THE STATE
CASTING THEIR BALLOTS. PRESIDENT
DONALD TRUMP AND DEMOCRATIC
NOMINEE JOE
BIDEN PARTICIPATED IN TWO
DEBATES IN THE LEAD-UP TO THE
NOVEMBER 3RD ELECTION. THE TWO
FIRST MET ON
PTEMBER 29 FOR THE FIRST
BATE IN CLEVELAND. THE
NAL BE WAS HELD AT BELMONT
IVERSITY NASHVILLE
TOBER 22.
W THE FINAL PRESIDENTIAL
ECTION POLLS COMPARE TO
2016
THE CONTEST TO REPLACE RETIRING
NNESSEEEN.
MAR ALEXANDER PITS ESIDENT
DONALD TRUMP'S
DORSED PANDIDATE, BILL
GERTY, AGAINST DEMOCRAT
RITA BRADSHAW, TENNESSEE'S
R
BLACK WOMAN NOMINATED FOR
ATEWIDE OFFICE BY EITHER MAJOR
RTY.
REPUBLICAN DIANA HARSHBARGER AND
DEMOCRAT BLAIR WALSINGHAM ARE
VYING TO REPLACE RETIRING
REPUBLICAN REP. PHIL ROE IN
NORTHEASTERN TENNESSEE IN
THE ONLY OPEN CONGRESSIONAL
RACE. THE STATE LEGISLATURE
FEATURES SEVERAL HARD-FOUGHT
DEFENSES FOR REPUBLICANS, WHO
HOLD SUPERMAJORITIES.
TENNESSEE'S THREE U.S. ATTORNEYS
HAVE EACH
APPOINTED OFFICIALS TO LEAD THE
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT'S
HANDLING OF ELECTION FRAUD AND
VOTING RIGHTS CONCERNS ON
ELECTION DAY. IN THE EASTERN
DISTRICT OF
TENNESSEE, THE NUMBER TO REPORT
PROBLEMS IS 423-385-
1332.
TEARSA:
THE HOURS AHEAD ARE ALSO A FINAL
OPPORTUNITY FOR MAIL-IN BALLOTS
TO
ARRIVE AT LOCAL ELECTION
OFFICES.
KNOX COUNTY VOTERS WHO STILL
HAVEN'T MAILED IN THEIR ABSENTEE
BALLOTS WILL HAVE UNTIL 3 P-M
TODAY..
TO MAKE THEIR VOTE COUNT. THE
COUNTY ELECTION
COMMISSION SAYS VOTERS CAN BRING
THEIR BALLOTS AT THE DOWNTOWN
KNOXVILLE POST OFFICE ALONG WEST
MAIN STREET.
THE BALLOT MUST BE SEALED IN AN
ENVELOPE WITH A FIRST-CLASS
POSTAGE STAMP.
AGAIN -- THE DEADLINE TO
SUBMIT THESE BALLOTS IS 3 P-M
TODAY.
DOUG;
WE'RE ALSO KEEPING AN EYE ON
HOW THE CANDIDATES ARE SPENDING
THOSE FINAL HOURS OF
THE RACE - HERE IN TENNESSEE -
THERE'S A SENATE SEAT UP FOR
GRABS.
MARQUITA BRADSHAW AND BILL
HAGERTY ARE VYING FOR THE
SEAT OPENING UP AS SENATOR LAMAR
ALEXANDER RETIRES.
WATE DOT COM DIGITAL REPORTER
AUSTIN MARTIN...
JOINS US FROM THE ALERT DESK...
HE HAS THE MORE ON HOW THE
CANIDDATES ARE SPENDING
ELECTION DAY. AUSTIN?
BILL HAGERTY - FORMER AMBASSADOR
TO JAPAN - BROUGHT
HIS ELECTION DAY CAMPAIGN TOUR
THROUGH KNOXVILLE.
HAGERTY HELD A BREAKFAST EVENT
AT SCRAMBLED JAKES RESTAURANT IN
WEST KNOXVILLE - WITH REPUBLICAN
LEADERS ON HAND INCLUDING COUNTY
MAYOR GLENN JACOBS AND
FORMER GOVERNOR BILL HASLAM.
0813Y4.MXF
21:28:29 I'VE KNOWN BILL FOR A
LONG TIME HE SERVED IN OUR
ADMINISTRATION. HE HELPED BRING
JOBS TO TENNESSEE. I
SAW HIM AS AMBASSADOR TO JAPAN
REALLY BECOME OUR POINT PERSON
FOR ALL OF ASIA AND HE'LL BRING
THAT
EXPERIENCE TO THE UNITED STATES
SENATE. I'M EXCITED
HE'S GOING TO HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT. 21:28:42
21:29:30 MY GOAL IS TO REPRESENT
ALL TENNESSEANS
JUST AS I REPRESENTED ALL
AMERICANS AS AMABASSADOR TO
JAPAN. I'M CONFIDENT THAT
TENNESSEE VALUES ARE GOING
TO RESONATE WELL IN WASHINGTON
D.C. 21:29:40
AUSTIN:
DEMOCRAT MARQUITA BRADSHAW
MEANWHILE IS SPENDING ELECTION
DAY
FOCUSING ON HER HOME TURF AROUND
THE MEMPHIS AREA.
THAT'S WHERE BRADSHAW HELD A
RALLY LAST NIGHT - TELING
SUPPORTERS THAT HER SUPPORTERS
WERE GOING TO TURN OUT THE
VOTE IN BIG NUMBERS.
:45 WE'RE GOING TO SHOW UP AND
SHOW OUT IN SHELBY COUNTY IN
WAYS THEY HAVE NOT SEEN BEFORE
BECAUSE
YOUR HOMETOWN GIRL MARQUITA
BRADSHAW FROM
SOUTH MEMPHIS IS ON THE BALLOT
AND IS GOING TO STEP
INTO THE US SENATE WITH ALL OF
YOUR HELP 1:03
BRADSHAW AND TENNESSEE DEMOCRATS
LOST A BID YESTERDAY TO
GAIN ACCESS TO STATE RECORDS OF
VOTERS WHO HAD BEEN ISSUED
ABSENTEE BALLOTS - BUT WHO HAD
NOT
RETURNED THEM.
HER CAMPAIGN HOPED TO REACH
OUT TO THOSE VOTERS. THE
BRADSHAW CAMP CALLS THE
DENIAL A FORM OF VOTER
SUPRESSION.
WE WILL HAVE COVERAGE OF THE
2020 ELECTION ALL DAY RIGHT HERE
ON-AIR AND ONLINE. AT THE ALERT
DESK,
AUSTIN MARTIN WATE.COM.
DOUG
THANKS AUSTIN.
OF COURSE THAT'S JUST ONE OF A
BUNCH OF TENNESSEE RACES WE'LL
BE WATCHING.
DOUG:
LIKE THE U-S HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT ONE
RACE
BETWEEN REPUBLICAN DIANA
HARSHBARGER AND DEMOCRAT BLAIR
WALSINGHAM..
THAT IS FOR CONGRESSMAN
PHIL ROE'S SEAT.
HE'S NOT SEEKING RE-ELECTION.
THERE'S ALSO THE DISTRICT 2 RACE
BETWEEN REPUBLICAN INCUMBENT TIM
BURCHETT,
DEMOCRAT RENEE HOYOS, AND
INDEPENDENT MATTHEW
CAMPBELL.
PLUS A NUMBER OF STATE HOUSE
SEATS UP FOR GRABS AS WELL.
TEARSA:
AND WE'RE EYEING HOW THE VOTE
GOES - BETWEEN LONG LINES AND