KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Early voting started Wednesday and the administrator of Knoxville elections said hundreds of people cast their votes.
This is a primary election, voters are electing lawmakers who make decisions about local issues and who will be on the ballot in November in the race for president.
Margaret Massey-Cox advocates for voting. She's the voter registration coordinator for the Knoxville Knox County League of Women Voters, which is a nonpartisan organization.
"If you don't vote, then you are allowing someone else to make decisions about your future, no vote, no voice," Massey-Cox said. "Right now we are making decisions about what happens locally, what impacts your pocketbook and what impacts your children."
The League of Women Voters' goal is to get people involved with the political process.
Chris Davis, administrator of elections in Knox County, explained how many problems in town could get handled differently because of the voting process. He said it all starts with voting and the primaries are where local change begins.
"We hear people all the time at the election commission, calling us and saying 'I'm not happy about my roads,' 'I'm not happy about growth,' 'I'm not happy about the potholes,'" Davis said. "This is a chance for you to get out and voice your opinion on who can be the next leaders of our county commission, the next representatives on your school board, we highly encourage people do a little bit homework, so that you can make an informed choice."
To help with this process Davis said they have 11 locations across Knox County where people can vote.
A couple of new locations include the first time up in the Gibbs and Corrington community and a new location in Farragut at the West Knox Senior Center downstairs at the back of the building.
The League of Women Voters has been trying to persuade people to get involved with the election process and Massey-Cox said younger eligible voters are not as active.
This is why the organization has been focusing on educating youth in several venues across the county.
"There's a huge number of young people who are not registered to vote," Massey-Cox said. "We would like to get more young people involved."