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Election season for the 2024 election gets underway on Valentine’s Day in Coffee County as residents go to the polls to pick their candidates for national and local office.

Coffee County residents eager to make their voices heard can go to the polls this morning as early voting starts Feb. 14 and will continue until Feb. 27 for the March primary.

There are two locations for early voting for Tullahoma and Manchester. Tullahoma residents can cast their ballots at C.D. Stamps Community Center at 810 S. Jackson Street from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.

Manchester residents can cast their ballots be at the Coffee County Administrative Plaza in the Election Commission office at 1329 McArthur Drive from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8:30 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.

All who vote in person, either during early voting or on Election Day, must provide a federal or Tennessee State photo ID, unless an exemption applies. Examples of photo IDs accepted include a Tennessee driver’s license, U.S passport, a state-issued non-driver’s license ID, military ID and state handgun carry permit card.

The federal primary will focus on the presidential candidate preference for both Republican and Democratic political parties. The Republican primary will also have a five page list, with two extra pages for write-ins, of delegates to elect for the Republican National Convention in August.

The primary will also have a focus on a local scale for a few vacancies to be filled as well as other local offices. The seats that will be on the primary ballot will be County Commission Districts 1 and 2; Property Assessor; Road Commissioner Seat 2 – District 4; two seats for Coffee County School Board Seat 1 – Districts 1, 3, 4; two seats for Coffee County School Board Seat 2 – Districts 2, 6, 7; two seats for Coffee County School Board Seat 3 – Districts 5, 8, 9; Constable Seat 3 – District 5, 8, 9; two seats for Manchester City School Board; four seats for Tullahoma City School Board, with three seats for terms of four years and one seat for terms of two years.

As of Friday, Feb. 9, three more candidates have picked up their petitions. Rush Bricken has picked up his papers for his 47^th State House of Representative seat, Robert L. Bellamy for Manchester City Mayor and Richard Dana Marshall as Tullahoma City Alderman. The other candidates who have previously picked up their papers include Janice Bowling for her 16th District State Senate seat, Joey Hobbs for Manchester City Mayor, Rupa Blackwell for the State Executive Committeewoman and Khamai Marion’Day Rozier for the 4th District U.S. House of Representatives seat.

According to the Coffee County Election Commission Administrator Andy Farrar, the number of voter registrations has increased from the 2020 Presidential Election for Coffee County. Farrar said as of Monday, Feb. 12, Coffee County has 36,483 registered voters, while in November 2020 Coffee County had 34,752 registered voters. 

If residents miss out on early voting, they can go to their designated precinct on Tuesday, March 5 to vote. For more information contact the Coffee County Election Commission office at 931-723-5103.