lines at Downtown West Knoxville (very red area) are still long.

[peacebuzzard]

I went the first day to vote and waited over 2 hours. There was a tremendous Dem turnout the first day. Today I had a doctor's appointment and made it a point to check out the same voting place. I have voted in previous early voting elections but have never seen this amount of turnout. today, over 10 days since the early vote start, the lines were still much longer than any other year. much, much longer. there are lots of closet Rupugs and I wonder how they will vote top of the ticket. I am sure they will support downline repugs, but based on political signs any dump support is not visible at all.

Also update on the political signs: almost no Dump signs at all. maybe 2 in a very dense suburban area. Many more than ever were Democratic signs for all the political positions. It is astounding, really. I have not seen this kind of support for the Dems. ever.
I have maintained a residence here for 30 years, off and on coming and going from here. The red-repugs are in retreat, no visible support.

[Iliyah]

1. Thanks for the heads up . .

I usually assume if voters are wearing mask at the polling places that's a good sign re: Dems or voting Dem.

[peacebuzzard]

3. wish I could have checked that out.

I was at a distance, and late for my appointment so I just took notes on a distant drive-by.

[SheltieLover]

4. Same here!

Signs of sanity = guestimated Dem votes!

[DonaldsRump]

2. That is great!

I know Knoxville pretty well. Where do you see that D turnout was excellent on day 1? Is there a link to that?

Also, are UT students on campus physically? I would bet a bunch of younger folks are seriously pissed off at the havoc that Covid-19 is playing with their lives.

If Knoxville has D support, that's a great sign for Joe and Kamala.

[peacebuzzard]

6. I was there personally, on day 1 and hung around the Dem booth

all the candidates were there for the races, Markita Bradshaw, Renee Hoyos, Couch...The reps for repugs were across the parking lot and had an even turnout of booth support. These are my own observations since I also stood in line that day. But today I by chance drove by again and saw an unprecedented line so unlike previous years.

I drove by UT on Sunday on my way to a recycling drop-off and was dismayed at the obvious student crowd strolling up and down the strip. I can tell you that 90% of the strip strollers had no masks. All young, likely students since it was right through campus. I do hope they all vote though. I would off the cuff say they would vote Dem, if they vote.

[DonaldsRump]

9. Thank you!

That is uplifting.

Tennessee is an unusual state. It's nowhere near as red as it is made out to be. The Ds pretty much abandoned TN after Al Gore lost his home state in 2000, so it's become a self-fulfilling prophecy that it's become red.

I am really heartened to hear on the ground reporting. I mailed my ballot in, so I haven't been able to able to get a feel for on the ground reports like this (plus we live in NorCal, which distort things in its own (good!) way.

[peacebuzzard]

13. Tennessee attracts lots of people,

no state income tax brings retirees from CA NY NJ, even FL and coast people escaping the storms over the years.
I know I could not financially replace my 2 acres& old homestead for anything similar elsewhere on the east coast probably. Specialty grocery stores and major airports and interstates is a plus for relocation.

[SheltieLover]

5. Ty for the great news!

[peacebuzzard]

8. I am a bit nervous about it all. I look for signs of support.

Tennessee is traditional 11 red EV. But I am encouraged to see support.
One house has all the Dem signs out plus a huge rainbow flag!

[SheltieLover]

11. I have the

Unfortunate distinction of living in Memphis burbs currently.

A blue dot in a very red state, but one in which many of the long-time inhabitants have been so oppressed for so long that they are not into politics.

This year is different, though! People see hope in Joe & Kamala!

And people I've been urging & literally begging to register & vote report having done so!

[peacebuzzard]

15. I saw your post earlier

about the blue dot in a red state, I had no idea till now it was Memphis.
I used to live in Ellendale many moons ago. I have spent many years living and working in Memphis.
I have seen decades of change.
Markita Bradshaw is a longshot candidate! I am so proud of her, and had the pleasure of meeting her on the 1st day of early voting here in Knoxville.

[SheltieLover]

17. I love Bradshaw!!!

I've been successful getting AA attention about the importance of voting by talking about her!

Longshot, but possible!

[peacebuzzard]

18. have you noticed

that Haggerty (Markita Bradshaw's political opponent) used to have signs that said "endorsed by Dump". and now his new version wiped that endorsement off! lol. He didn't want to ride those coattails now, did he?

[SheltieLover]

20. No.

I tried to keep it positive about Bradshaw & getting racists out of power.

[peacebuzzard]

21. that is the main thing...

because they are everywhere in TN. thank you for your work there in Memphis! I am in gratitude for all the foot soldiers working throughout this so important election.

[SheltieLover]

22. My pleasure!

I'm all about empowering people.

Ty for your post, too.

[underpants]

7. Drove around Knoxville two of the last Sundays

Family business in NW Georgia. It seemed like it took an hour to check off the Knoxville stage.

[peacebuzzard]

10. I moved back here from Atlanta in March

when the covid started happening. I knew it was going to be bad, and I left my rental in Decatur, broke the lease and came back to shelter in place here in Knoxville. Thank goodness I had a refuge.

[Cracklin Charlie]

12. Knoxville votes early?

Missouri Legislature:

I demand extended voting days in the next election!

I won’t vote for any more candidates that don’t campaign on extended voting. This sucks.

[peacebuzzard]

14. you have no early voting?

We don't have ballot drop off boxes here. I have previously voted by mail but was really worried about the process and did not care to repeat it for something so important as now.
Too much room for error with the mail-in ballot here in TN.
I don't know why it is so hard to vote in this country. I grew up out of the country and the process is simpler in other places. Brazil, for one, has a national day for voting when everything is closed except the polling places.

[LunaSea]

16. 2 hrs in Farragut too.

Thr reddest megachurchy part of town!

[peacebuzzard]

19. lol! that is a megachurchy. place

wow. I heard on day one lines at the love kitchen were long. I almost went there instead of Downtown West on my voting day which was the first day of early voting. Many times I choose to go to Love's anyway. I used to love the love sisters who ran the place for so long.
I went instead to Downtown West to hobnob with the candidates.

[unc70]

23. Was on Zoom tonight with several friends in Knoxville

I'm in NC but visit out there a lot. The Downtown West location lines were particularly long. Other locations like south Knoxville had much shorter lines. Being a Dem in TN is very frustrating. Bad enough in NC, but much worse over there.

[peacebuzzard]

24. it is frustrating, and in years past Dems were taboo.

I transplanted here years ago, and was unaware how taboo it was until I posted my Gore signs or wore a Kerry T-shirt. It truly did generate hate. The march of time and relocation of out-of-staters is making a slight shift. South Knoxville has been very redneck. So much so, that I have not been there in years. It is far easier to just take the Pellissippi Interstate to the airport and Maryville to the Smokies. Years ago, my visiting sisters and I went to the gem of the Smokies, the famous wedding capital Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. It frustrated and depressed my sisters.
Recently the Knox area has been fighting the mask rule in stores and in public. Many many are non-compliant including the Wrestler and now mayor of Knox county Glenn Jacobs (total idiot, mask-less fool, and anti-Knox County board of health).

Fortunately, the city of Knoxville has had two women Dem mayors in a row, the current Indya Kincannon.(2019) Before that, Madeline Rogero was also a registered Dem. Knoxville was the first of the major TN urban areas to elect a female mayor.

It is surprisingly lucky to have a normal female mayor of Knoxville, vs. a cult member like the Glenn Jacobs type, a former WWE star and now mayor of Knox county.