KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Election season officially is here.
In Tennessee, Wednesday marked the start of early voting.
Dozens of voters lined up this morning outside of the Downtown Knoxville West voting site to cast their ballots.
Some races that will be decided on in this year's midterms are the governor's race, four state amendments, and U.S. congressional seats.
Christopher Davis, Knox County's administrator of elections, encourages voters to do their homework before heading out to the polls. He said all early voting locations have sample ballot posters so voters can become familiar before voting.
He encourages Americans to take the time to vote this election cycle.
"Do not take this right for granted. It's an honor. It's a privilege," Davis said. "It's a responsibility if you belong, if you live in a country with a representative government to be able to exercise that right."
When does early voting start?
Early voting kicked off Oct. 19 and will continue until Thursday, Nov. 3. Voters will have about 15 days to cast their votes prior to Election Day on Nov. 8.
What times do polls open?
The majority of the polling sites open at 10 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. during the weekdays and 3 p.m. on Saturdays. You can visit the Tennessee Secretary of State's site at this link to find a map with the different counties. Clicking on your county will bring up a link to your local election commission, which will list early voting locations and times in your area.
What do I need to bring?
Voters are required to bring a valid photo ID card to the polls. A federal or state driver's license or photo ID are acceptable even if they are expired.
Where can I go for early voting?
Knox County has ten early voting locations that are now open. Voters can go to any early voting site. In Election Day voters will have to go their assigned location. For people outside Knox County, you should check your local election commission's website for locations and times, which you can find by county at this link.
- City-County Building (Small Assembly Room), 400 Main Street
- Carter Senior Center, 9040 Asheville Highway
- Downtown West - Unit 40, 1645 Downtown West Blvd
- Eternal Life Harvest Center at Five Points, 2410 Martin Luther King Avenue
- Farragut Town Hall, 11408 Municipal Center Drive
- Halls Recreation Center, 6933 Recreation Lane
- Karns Senior Center, 8042 Oak Ridge Highway
- Knoxville Expo Center (North), 5441 Clinton Highway
- Meridian Baptist Church (South), 6513 Chapman Highway
- New Harvest Park, 4775 New Harvest Lane
Can I still register to vote?
Unfortunately, no. The Oct. 11 voter registration deadline for the midterm elections in Tennessee has passed. There's a 30-day deadline before election day in order to vote.