Voter guide 2012: Know your candidates, issues before you go vote on Nov. 6

It’s that time of year again when potential voters are targeted with annoying phone calls, disrespectful debates, mudslinging-packed commercials and other campaign spam that seems to even find its way onto social media sites.

Over the next two weeks, registered voters will have the opportunity to elect the next person(s) who will run not only our city, but county, state and nation as well. With Election Day just around the corner, here is some information that may be useful:

The candidates

President and Vice President of the United States:

Republican nominees: Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan

Democratic nominees: President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden

Constitution Party nominees: Virgil Goode and Jim Clymer

Green Party nominees: Jill Stein and Cheri Honkala

Independent candidates: Ross C. “Rocky” Anderson and Luis J. Rodriguez, Gary Johnson and James P. Gray, and Merlin Miller and Virginia D. Abernethy

United States Senate – Tennessee:

Republican nominee: Bob Corker

Democratic nominee: Mark E. Clayton

Constitution Party nominee: Kermit Steck

Green Party nominee: Martin Pleasant

Independent candidates: Shaun E. Crowell, David Gatchell, James Higdon, Michael Joseph Long, and Troy Stephen Scoggin

United States House of Representatives – 8th Congressional District:

Republican nominee: Stephen Lee Fincher

Democratic nominee: Timothy D. Dixon

Independent candidates: James Hart and Mark J. Rawles

Tennessee Senate – 24th Senatorial District:

Republican nominee: John Stevens

Democratic nominee: Brad Thompson

Tennessee House of Representatives – 76th District:

Republican nominee: Andy Holt

Democratic nominee: Mark L. Maddox

City of Martin Alderman (vote for one):

Ward 1: Danny M. Nanney

Ward 2: David Sudberry, Johnny Tuck

Ward 3: Randy Edwards

City of Dresden Aldermen-At-Large (vote for three):

Joyce Hurt, Richard “Dick” Tidwell, Jeffrey “Jeff” Washburn

City of Greenfield – Mayor (vote for one):

Lisa Mitchell Hilliard, Cindy McAdams, Bobby R. Morris

City of Greenfield – Aldermen-At-Large (vote for four):

Martha L. Allen, Laralee S. Boyd, Paul Grooms, Donald Ray High, Troy R. Jones, Bruce McCartney, James Roy Pope, Paul D. Richmond, Ray Sellers, Jim Witherspoon

City of Gleason – Mayor (vote for one):

Little Jack Dunning, Diana Poole

City of Gleason – Aldermen-At-Large (vote for four):

Charles Bookout, Greg Browning, Jerry S. Connell, Jerry Allen Dunn Jr., Michael Ray Morris, Kris Morse, Randy L. Stewart

City of Sharon – Mayor (vote for one):

Monroe Ary, Steven Scott Vaughan City of Sharon – Aldermen-At-Large (vote for two):

Floyd Edwards, Stewart Broussard, Wanda S. Hamlin, Tommy Jones

City of Sharon – Alderman (Unexpired term of two years/vote for one):

Jason Plunk

Early voting/Election Day

Early voting lasts from Oct. 17 until Nov. 1. Any voter who is registered in Weakley County can vote early from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday - Friday at the Weakley County Election Commission, which is located in Dresden at 135 South Poplar Street-Suite A.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 6, and polls are expected to be open from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. Anyone registered to vote on campus will vote at the Martin Trinity Presbyterian Church, which is located by U.V. Phase 1. If you live off campus, and you aren’t sure where your appropriate polling place is, visit www.tnmap.tn.gov/voterlookup.  

For more information regarding the Weakley County Election Commission, call 731-364-5564, or visit the website at www.weakleycountytn.gov/electioncommission.html. Anyone who is registered to vote outside of Weakley can find his or her appropriate election commission at http://tnsos.org/elections/election_commissions.php.

General election information

Due to a new law passed last year, new and previously registered voters will have to present a government-issued ID at the poll. College student IDs and photo IDs not issued by the federal/state government are not acceptable.

I

t’s too late to register to vote for the Nov. 6 Election Day. However, unregistered citizens should consider registering now for the next election. You can pick up a voter registration card from any county election office, which can be mailed in or dropped off in person.