Election Day turnout was light in Shelby County, heavy in Mississippi

• The Shelby County Election Commission expects to have final results between 9 and 10 p.m.
• As Election Day started, turnout soared in Mississippi, fell flat in Memphis.
• A massive vote-counting effort is underway at FedExForum in Downtown Memphis.
• Voters across Shelby County share different viewpoints on local, national candidates.

From president to local school board races, get all 2020 election results here:

2020 Election Results | The Commercial Appeal

After a furious rush of early voting, Shelby County's Election Day turnout was considerably tamer Tuesday morning, in sharp contrast to its neighbor to the south.

Here are the dispatches from our reporters scattered across Greater Memphis:

With 17,000 mail-in ballots scanned, Shelby County has more than 9,000 to go before issuing final tally

By around 6 p.m., one hour before the polls close in Shelby County, official ballot counters had counted and scanned more than 17,000 mail-in ballots at the FedEx Forum, said Suzanne Thompson, spokeswoman for the Shelby County Election Commission.

Those voting in-person on Election Day were met with few lines around the county, she said, and the commission received no reports of issues with machines or with voter intimidation.

About 9,000 mail-in ballots received prior to Election Day still had to be scanned, along with any received on Tuesday. The polls close at 7, and anyone in line at the time is able to vote. 

Tabulation begins when the polls close.

The election commission still hopes to have a final tally of votes by 9 or 10 p.m., Thompson said.

— Katherine Burgess

'The easiest vote I've ever had': Lines remain short for Collierville voters

Like other parts of Shelby County, Collierville voter turnout started off strong and trickled down into the evening with about one or two voters in a precinct at a time.

Cynthia Brewer, poll worker for Collierville precinct 04, said there was a heavy voter presence from 7 to 9 a.m. but the precinct has had a "steady light stream" since then. 

"This precinct had a lot of early voting. I think because of that, today has been lighter than I expected it to be," Brewer said.

She said she expected heavy voter traffic after 5 p.m.

Marvin Hall, poll worker for Collierville precinct 07, also said the morning had a large line of voters, with about 100 lined up when the doors opened.

Hall said by 4:40 p.m. around 366 people had voted at the precinct. 

One voter at the 07 precinct, Lynn Davenport, said she thought the line would be longer and even brought her walker in case she needed to sit down, but she did not use it. 

"This was probably the easiest vote I have ever had, and I've lived in the neighborhood for about 21 years," Davenport, 73, said.

Another Collierville voter Jennifer Bates, 54, said she did not trust the early voting process, so she wanted to vote on Election Day.

"I wanted to make sure my vote was put in and counted; today was the day to do that," Bates said.

— Dima Amro

Write-in, minor party candidates draw support from Germantown voters

Things had been slow all day at the polling site at the Germantown Great Hall, with about 200 people coming to vote in person by 4:30 p.m., according to a candidate volunteer outside the polling location.

But more voters started to trickle in as the workday drew to a close, pulling past a dozen yard signs for local races and a woman in a bedazzled “TRUMP” hat waving a “Trump 2020" flag along Germantown Parkway.

Multiple voters said Tuesday they wrote in candidates in the presidential race or voted for minor party candidates.

For Germantown resident Scott Williams, Tuesday was the second presidential election in a row where he didn’t support either major party candidate.

He voted for Constitution Party candidate Don Blankenship “because I don’t like Trump or Biden,” he said.

But the presidential race didn’t have any bearing on how he voted otherwise.

Down-ballot, he split his ticket, voting for Democrat Jerri Green for Tennessee House District 83 and GOP nominees David Kustoff and Bill Hagerty in the U.S. House District 8 and U.S. Senate races, respectively.

In local races, he hopes to see Sherrie Hicks, Brian Ueleke and John McCreery added to the Germantown Board of Mayor and Aldermen. For school board, Williams voted for Scott Williams.

“I voted for Scott Williams because my name is Scott Williams,” he said, laughing.

That, and a campaigner near the Germantown Great Hall polling place with a Scott Williams sign proved to be very persuasive.

Education was the big issue for Germantown resident Kate Nesvick when she stepped into the voting booth at the Germantown Great Hall.

She also wanted to make sure she cast her ballot for Sherrie Hicks in the Alderman position 3 race.

“We’re big Sherrie Hicks supporters,” she said of herself and her husband.

— Corinne Kennedy

In East Memphis, a husband and wife cast most 'memorable' vote, 19-year-old votes for first time

Around 4 p.m. at Shady Grove Elementary School, John Farmer, 42, cast a vote to re-elect President Trump, who he also voted for in 2016.

“I’m proud of Trump. He’s done so much,” Farmer said, acknowledging that though some people have called Trump “a liar” he thinks he is “an everyday boss, smart.”

Farmer said that no matter who’s in office, the country needs to “have people in line to keep America whole.” As for the pandemic, Farmer, who works in healthcare, said COVID-19 “is one of those things that’s trial and error” and that Trump “was just as blind as everyone else.”

Tuesday was the first time 19-year-old Christian Ward has voted. He drove back to Memphis from school at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville both to vote and to see family and friends. Most of his friends voted in this election, he said, and many cast absentee ballots. Economics and morals motivated his vote, he said.

Ward didn’t share who he voted for today, but said he was “not super excited about either (presidential) candidate” and thinks “both sides” could have better options.

Ayana Williams, 48, early voted this year, but accompanied her husband, Willie, to Shady Grove Elementary School. They both cast votes for presidential candidate Joe Biden and Jerri Green for Tennessee House District 83. Willie, 54, also voted for United States House Rep. David Kustoff, a republican.

Willie likes to vote on Election Day because of previous voter intimidation, he said, and has seen people turned away “for the smallest things.” This has been most memorable election for each of them, as far as needing to vote, they said, though voting for former-President Barack Obama was most exciting.

President Trump is an “un-President” Willie said, whose bad decisions overshadow any good he might have done. Willie wants equal opportunities for all. “It’s not Whiteville, it’s America,” he said. He said Trump’s narrow viewpoint is “frightening.”

Ayana wants to see more equal rights and said she is tired of fearing for her husband and brothers because they are African American, she said. She also wants more equal opportunities for education and for Black business owners, as well as better health care.

Both think the pandemic could have been handled better, and that President Trump has not taken it seriously. “We’re in a global pandemic by ourselves” in America, Willie said.

— Laura Testino 

In Kingsbury neighborhood, different views of Trump

At St. Stephens United Methodist Church in the Kingsbury neighborhood at mid-afternoon, about 350 people had voted and there was no line. Among the voters was John Ranallo, 64, who works as an administrator for a painting company.  

“I vote every year. It’s my civic duty,” he said. Who did he support? “Trump.” 

He said economic issues were most important in his decision, and he also supported Republicans in down-ballot races. 

At the same precinct, 18-year-old Remy Rice voted for the first time ever with mother Jennifer Samhan, 49.  

Rice uses they/them pronouns and identifies as part of the LGBT community. “Trump is not great if I want to get married one day and so on,” Rice said. “I wasn’t too excited about Joe Biden, but sometimes you have to take the choice between being shot in the head and being shot in the leg.”  

Rice works in a coffee shop and wore a face mask with a design that looked like shark teeth, an homage to the character Kirishima from the Japanese animated series "My Hero Academia." 

Samhan, the mother, works as an administrative assistant. She said she wasn’t thrilled about Biden but supported him. “Mainly because of LGBQT rights and having a child in that demographic.” 

A short drive down Macon Road at Gaisman Community Center, 21-year-old Kim Urquia described what motivated her to vote: “Honestly everything that’s going on in the community with like the Black Lives Matter, and also like the LGBT community. And also the immigration aspect.”  

The Kingsbury neighborhood has a large Hispanic immigrant population, and the Trump administration has put in place numerous policies that aim to limit both legal and illegal immigration. In speeches, Trump has also repeatedly demonized Hispanic immigrants as dangerous criminals. 

Urquia, a graduate of nearby Kingsbury High School, said she was born in the United States, but other family members weren’t. “My grandparents, they weren’t born here,” she said. “They’ve had a tough upcoming. And obviously that reflects on our lives as well. They struggle, we struggle.” She said her grandparents were born in Honduras and Mexico. 

Urquia said she formerly worked at a call center but had taken a new job; she was still wearing a temporary sticker from her first day at the FedEx hub. She said she planned to vote for Biden. She wouldn’t do it at the Gaisman Community Center, though — the staff directed her to another nearby polling site. 

Shortly after 5 p.m., the pace of voters arriving at the Gaisman Community Center increased, signaling that the post-work rush had begun. So far that day, 494 people had already voted, and with six people about to cast ballots, the number was set to reach 500, an election worker said. 

— Daniel Connolly

For one teacher, students are on her mind at the polls

On Tuesday afternoon at about 4:15 p.m., Tara Parker walked back to her car at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church. She was at the wrong polling place and needed to head to First Baptist Church on Broad Avenue.

When she got there, she planned to vote for President Donald Trump.

“I just didn’t have another option,” Parker said. She did not feel former Vice President Joe Biden was a good candidate, but declined to say why.

Parker, talking from behind a Dallas Cowboys mask, said she was nervous about voting in person because of “the overall anxiety of the last six months” of COVID-19.

“It’s not going well,” she said of the pandemic. Parker hadn’t read much on the down ballot races.

Just as Parker left, Elaina Ross walked out of Mississippi Boulevard.

“Change” was on her mind, the teacher at Memphis Delta Preparatory School said. She wanted change for her own kids and her students.

She also thought of a “better option, not the best option but the better option,” when it came for president. That’s why she chose Biden.

“Biden is the better pick of the two,” Ross said. “He’s not the best nominee we could’ve had.”

For Senate, Ross voted for Marquita Bradshaw because she would represent the underrepresented communities Ross teaches in, she said. And for Tennessee House District 90, she voted for Torrey Harris, noting how she had watched him work since losing the primary to John DeBerry in 2018.

And she had the future on her mind, too and hoped young people who weren’t voting would.

— Samuel Hardiman 

In East Memphis, teens ask for votes for justice

Voters at White Station Middle School in Memphis were treated to free snacks, waters and face masks Tuesday afternoon by the group Young Women Against Injustice.

Three teens manning the booth said the group was formed in April and shared non-biased information about local candidates via the group's Instagram account.

“People our age can feel excluded from the political process,” said one 14-year-old, who identified herself as "TG." Another 14-year-old, "KR," added that she wanted people experiencing homelessness to have access to the food they were distributing. The teens asked that their names not be published.

Also at the poll was 46-year-old regular voter Dana Shoops, who said turmoil motivated her to vote. “I pray our country heals itself because we’re not in a good place,” she said.

Shoops said she voted to re-elect President Donald Trump and Tennessee House District 83 Rep. Mark White.

She took her first job at 14 and has worked hard in her life, she said. “That’s what I believe in." She thinks the pandemic has been handled well locally and is glad tests are accessible and quickly returned. “I don’t mind the mandate to wear the mask,” she added.

Austin Dixon, 27, also considers himself a regular voter. The Tennessee House District 83 race brought him out today. He cast a vote for Jerri Green, the democratic challenger to incumbent White. White chairs the state’s educational committee and has supported Gov. Bill Lee’s voucher system.

“On the surface, it’s supposed to provide opportunity ... for all,” Dixon said of Lee's education savings accounts, which have been ruled unconstitutional by courts. But, he added, that’s not how it would work in reality. “It would be detrimental to the masses.”

Progress in racial equity and in pandemic management encouraged Dixon to cast a vote for Joe Biden. Should Green or Biden win, it will take time to “undo damage,” Dixon said.

But he thinks their election could be a start to bringing a sense of peace to communities.

“That, in itself, can go a long way," he said.

— Laura Testino

Address mix-up leads to detour for two voters

Andrew Hundley and Perrin Edwards’ voting experience began with a brief detour on Election Day.

After voting at the Glenview Community Center off Southern Avenue in Memphis, Hundley said their registration cards had the center’s address as 993 Roland St., where Rozelle Elementary School is located about half a mile away. It didn’t take long after for the couple to find the correct voting site, but Hundley flagged it as a potential problem for other voters.

“I really hope there’s nobody that drives there (Rozelle) and says, ‘Oh, it’s closed, and leaves,’” he said.

Voting didn’t take long inside Glenview Community Center, located at 1141 S. Barksdale St., said Edwards, a first-time voter. She attributed the heavy early voting turnout to people being “unhappy with the way things are.” Hundley said efforts to let people know about options outside of voting on Election Day helped.

“More people knew about it,” he said. “I don’t think in the past, early voting has been pushed as much.”

While Edwards voted for the first time, Anthony Williams, a Memphis resident for 62 years, said he has been voting since he was first old enough to. He had concerns about a long wait time at Glenview Community Center but said he “went right on in and right on out of there.”

Williams declined to say who he voted for, although he did flag the two topics most important to him politically as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to upend normal American life.

“Health and the economy,” said Williams, pointing to his mask. “It is what it is, but this is America, and I love it still.”

— Max Garland

In Cordova, voters describe day's significance

When he cast his ballot at Sycamore View Church of Christ in Cordova on Tuesday, it was only Abdulbasit Mussa’s second time voting since becoming a U.S. citizen after immigrating from Ethiopia.

It’s part of his duty as a U.S. citizen, he said, something he wants to model to his two teenagers who are both excited for the day when they also can vote as Americans.

“In this country, you come and vote for the person you feel is good for you,” Mussa said. “That’s why every time on Election Day, I want to be sure to vote. It’s a good feeling.”

He cast his ballot for Joe Biden for president, also voting to reelect Steve Cohen as his representative to U.S. Congress, since Cohen had once met with him and other immigrants.

Voting Tuesday at the Cordova precinct, which went 77% for Hillary Clinton and 19% for President Donald Trump in 2016, was calm, with short lines, sunny skies and a booth handing out “Black Lives Matter” swag.

Ruth and Eric Brueggemann said they regretted not voting in the 2016 election. Because of that, they would have stood in a line that stretched around the parking lot to vote this year, they said, but instead found no line at the church.

“Apathy is what will destroy a nation, period, for good people to sit on their behinds,” Brueggemann said after casting his vote for Biden. “I voted for what I thought was normalcy. We really have an insane leadership.”

For Fashone Shelton, voting Tuesday on his lunch break was a late decision. He initially did not plan to vote at all, he said, but changed his mind after doing more reading about the election, he said.

“It makes a difference in the world we live in, putting certain candidates in seats can dictate how the world evolves,” Shelton said. “This might be a game-changer right here. You got to start somewhere. I figured if I put my two cents in, it might make a difference.”

In the last election, before she was legally able to vote, Nicole Williams, 19, encouraged all her friends to cast their ballots. But this election, Williams got to cast a vote herself.

“A lot of people complain about what’s going on who have the power to change who’s in office,” Williams said outside the poll at Redemption City Church. “It’s important to go vote if you want to see change. Definitely I suggest anybody who’s young, go vote.”

Although not thrilled with either candidate, she voted for Biden in the presidential election, Williams said, wanting a change from Trump, whose actions she’s been especially concerned about during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I want someone who takes their role to heart and makes sure that respect is earned and given for the things that they’ve done,” she said.

Voters trickled in and out of the polling place, often with long pauses between anyone arriving to vote. A lone advocate for candidate Gabby Salinas, who is running against John Gillespie for Tennessee House, stood outside urging the occasional voter to “Vote Gabby.”

In 2016, 30% of the precinct’s voters supported Trump, while 65% supported Hillary Clinton.

Michael Hixson, who spent just minutes inside the polling place, said he voted for Trump.

“He’s done a lot of good. He’s bringing all of our jobs back that was overseas,” Hixson said, mentioning Ford scrapping plans for a plant in Mexico. “I just think he’s a better fit.”

Hixson, who was given Election Day off by his employer, said it’s a person’s duty to vote.

“You don’t vote, you don’t have a voice,” he said.

Shakema Collins, who also just needed a few minutes to cast her ballot, voted for Biden. She said she believes Biden will support middle class and low-income people through changes such as increasing the minimum wage.

“Voting’s important and we need to make change,” she said. “It seems like what he’s saying and where he’s going, it’s going to be better for us.”

— Katherine Burgess

In Memphis, turnout low in wake of early voting

On Tuesday morning, only a handful of voters could be seen at polls in Memphis, our Micaela Watts reports from the field.

"We've had no lines so far," said Suzanne Thompson, spokeswoman for the Shelby County Election Commission. "The general consensus it is going to be a light day because so many people voted early."

By 10 a.m., about 11,900 ballots had been cast, Thompson said.

Just over 326,000 early votes were cast by Oct. 29 in Memphis and Shelby County, including about 24,000 mail-in absentee ballots, the election commission reports.

More:Here are your options for returning a mail-in ballot in Shelby County

As polls opened, voters in some precincts in Shelby County found lines in place. Thompson said about 32 voters were in line at Pursuit Church of God at 3759 North Watkins and 25 were lined up at Collierville Presbyterian Church at 202 West Poplar.

But in East Memphis, after a flash of activity, the seven voting machines at Christian Brothers High School were lined up awaiting voters rather than vice versa.

As of around 8:30 a.m., 59 people had voted at the site, which Trump won in 2016 with 51% of the vote. The on-site Shelby County Election Commission officer, Robert Ahokes, said he’d partly expected the lower turnout on Election Day given the strong showing of more than 326,000 voters in the two weeks of early voting.

“My sense was that it would be slower at the poll because so many people requested ballots and early voted,” said Ahokes, who’s managed the site for 10 years.

But the remaining number of absentee ballots yet to be received back and the large number of registered voters gave him a second thought on predicting turnout in Memphis on Election Day, he said. “There’s really no way to tell."

As medical helicopters took off and landed at Baptist Memorial Hospital across the street, a trickle of voters talked about what brought them out to the polls:

• Sisters Ariel Rushing, 24, and Jaden Rushing, 18, came together to cast their ballots for the first time. “I knew the importance of voting. But now I feel it was extreme, like I really have to get it done,” said Ariel. “I feel pretty good about it,” Jaden said. But, Ariel added, she doesn’t feel good about the days ahead. “We don’t know what will happen with the country and how everyone reacts. Either way I feel there’s going to be backlash. Either way it’s going to be trouble.” Wearing a bedazzled Black Lives Matter mask, Ariel said that’s where her political attire comes in. “It’s necessary to still be able to feel how I feel while doing the right thing for the country.”
   
• A different pair of siblings were on 31-year-old software developer Jason Charnes’ mind. “Four years ago, I didn’t have any children. Now we have two. I want to do my part, to do the best I can to make sure they grow up somewhere unified.” As an in-person Election Day voter, Charnes said COVID-19 was “barely” on his mind. “It went really smoothly,” Charnes said of casting his ballot. “I thought they would take the appropriate measures and they did.”

According to Ahokes, there were no issues with voting machines or otherwise at Christian Brothers High that morning.

Signs supporting candidates peppered the site, although the Memphis Grizzlies Claw Crew maintained the biggest presence with three workers there to encourage motorists driving by to go vote.

But other polls in Memphis were almost deserted as the lunch hour approached. At St. Mark’s United Methodist Church on Winchester near Hacks Cross, only 125 people had voted as of 11 a.m., compared to 1,900 early voters.

— Micaela Watts, Ted Evanoff, Sarah Macaraeg

Excited voters pack polls in DeSoto County

By 7 a.m., more than 300 people were standing in a long, single-file line edging around the Goodman Oaks Church of Christ parking lot in Southaven.

Mike Jones of Southaven, standing in line wearing a blue face mask, said the turnout was not surprising: "There's so much at stake. Second amendment rights. Abortion rights. Medical marijuana."

One reason for the strong Election Day turnout could be that Mississippi restricts early voting for almost all residents under 65 years of age.

"I've never been in a (poll) line this long," said Mindy Waggener, a Southaven resident for 27 years.

Darren Waggener said national issues drew out the voters: "Taxes. That's my main concern. And it's the overall freedom of the American people to function without fear."

Meanwhile in Memphis, voting was more muted at some polls following an early voting surge. Around 8 a.m., there were few people at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church (aka "The BLVD"), which is traditionally one of the busier voting sites. 

The DeSoto County Election Commission reported 113,611 active voters in June in the county. Election officials expect about 12,000 absentee ballots would be cast, including  those quarantined for COVID-19 or caring for someone who is, the DeSoto Times-Tribune reported.

Only a handful of people in line Tuesday morning were not wearing masks.

DeSoto County ranks second among Mississippi counties for COVID-19 cases, registering a total of 7,632 cases on Nov. 1, up from 6,148 on Oct. 10, state health officials say.

— Ted Evanoff

Voters move quickly through polls in Bartlett

In between a poll worker’s cleanings of the Bartlett Baptist Church’s door handles, masked voters filed into Bartlett Baptist Church on Election Day morning. One voter scurried back to his car just before entering, realizing he needed a mask.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, 73-year-old Pamela Rowe said she “got up very early” to avoid any long lines or crowded spaces at the polling place. After voting around 7:15 a.m., Rowe said the process at the church wasn’t difficult and moved quickly.

“Usually, it’s kind of crowded, but it’s always good in Bartlett,” she said. “They have it under control.”

A handful of other voters walking out of the polling place Tuesday morning say they didn’t encounter any hurdles, either, including Dan Martin, a voter who waited until Election Day because he was concerned of long lines during early voting.

This precinct, part of the Memphis suburb of Bartlett, voted heavily in favor of Donald Trump in 2016. In 2020, some precinct voters voiced concern about the politically divided state of America.

Bartlett voter Anna Finley said “the volatile political environment” has motivated more people to vote this year. She said she voted for Joe Biden because of his leadership skills and “presidential nature.”

Others kept their votes close to the vest. Steven Swartz, who said he has been a regular voter since 1998, was standing in a short line to vote at the church before polls opened at 7 a.m.

Swartz said he believes more people will participate in this election as “people are waking up” to the challenges the country faces. Still, he said division and infighting remains among Americans and he is concerned about the current state of the country.

— Max Garland

When will Shelby County have results?

The Shelby County Election Commission is hoping to have a final tally of votes by 9 p.m. on Election Day, although the results could be delayed if there's a late surge of voters.

By 10 a.m. Tuesday, 11,900 votes had been cast, leaving about 266,000 registered voters who have yet to go to the polls according to Suzanne Thompson, spokeswoman for the Election Commission. In recent elections, turnout has been about 60-62% of registered voters. Just over half the 604,000 registered voters in Memphis and Shelby County cast early ballots, according to the commission.

While voting has been slow in the county today, a surge could push the final count back past 10 p.m., Thompson said. Voters in line by the time polls close at 7 p.m. will be allowed to cast their ballots. 

— Ted Evanoff

FedExForum hosts massive vote count

As Election Day began, more than 200 counters and other employees began work at FedExForum counting mail-in ballots.

Shelby County voter guide:Here's what you need to know.

Your vote will count:Memphis, Shelby Co. leaders reassure public about election

Election workers began shuffling onto the floor of the FedExForum, sans basketball court, shortly before 7 a.m. to begin counting more than 26,000 mail-in ballots. The Shelby County Election Commission is still awaiting the return of 4,000 mail-in ballots.

Signatures on the ballot affidavits were compared to voter registration cards at the Election Commission's operations center in East Memphis before the ballots, in locked boxes, were transported to FedExForum, where they would be counted and scanned throughout the day.

Workers were assigned to more than 60 counting tables as an election official’s voice occasionally chimed out over the arena’s PA system, encouraging workers to stash their phones for the day. At 7:30, the head of the Shelby County Election Commission, Linda Phillips, delivered last-minute reminders about the day’s procedures before swearing in roughly 200 election workers. 

Counting was not allowed to begin until 7 a.m. After counting, the ballots are scanned onto four machines. After that, the scanner memory sticks are returned to the operations center, where tabulation of the vote cannot begin until the polls have closed. 

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Additional mail-in ballots can be received until polls close at 7 p.m. Ballots mailed from the Bartlett Post Office before 3 p.m. on Election Day would be received by the Election Commission, Secretary of State Tre Hargett and coordinator of elections Mark Goins have said. 

— Katherine Burgess, with an assist from Micaela Watts