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| Rules for Voter Registration in Rhea County |
by Tambria M. Peeples, Herald-News Reporter
Reprinted from The Herald News, The Source, Sunday, July 24, 2005 |
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| Registering to vote is a very simple procedure that will only take a few minutes of your time. You may register to vote if you are a U.S. citizen, a resident of Tennessee, at least 18 years of age, and have not been convicted of a felony, or if you have, your full rights of citizenship must have been restored (or you must have received a pardon). |
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| You may register at the Election Commission Office located just behind the Rhea County Courthouse in the courthouse annex building (125 Court St., Dayton)--or by mail-in application. To register you will be asked your full name, address, place and date of birth, Social Security number and the location of previous voter registration. The registrars often ask for some type of identification, so you will want to take your driver's license or Social Security card along with you. |
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| In municipal elections, you must live or own property in the city in which you wish to vote. |
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| The Election Commission has five commissioners including Chairman Virgil Crane, Secretary, Tom Taylor, Arthur B. Ladd, James Jewell, Kerry Nabors, Administrator Cathy T. Lauer, Chief Deputy Theresa B. Snyder, Machine Tech Donnie Reed and Don Massengale. |
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| If you should move to another location in the city or county, you must notify the registrar of the change in address either in person or by mail. |
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| Early Voting |
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| The law has changed to allow any registered voter to vote in person during a period beginning 20 days prior to the election and ending five days before the election. |
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| You may vote in person during early voting at the Rhea County election commission office in Dayton or at the Spring City Municipal Building. The office hours are Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The office is also open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon during elections. |
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| You may vote absentee by mail if one of the following reasons apply: |
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1) You will be outside the county in which you are registered during the early voting period and on election day for any reason other than imprisonment.
2) You are a full-time student, or spouse of such student, in an accredited post-secondary institution of learning that is outside the county in which you are registered to vote.
3) You are hospitalized or medically unable to appear at the polling place or the commission office for this election (if your condition is permanent, you can be added to the absentee list by filing a statement from your physician with the county election commission).
4) You are the caretaker of a hospitalized, ill or disabled person.
5) You are handicapped and your polling place is not accessible.
6) You expect to be unable to appear during the early voting period or at the polling place on election day because you are serving as a juror for a federal or state court.
7) You are 65 years of age or older.
8) You are a candidate for office in the election in which you wish to vote.
9) You are an elected official, or a member or employee of the election commission on election day.
10) You are unable to appear during the early voting period or at the polling place on election day because of observance of a religious holiday.
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| Voting by Mail |
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| If you meet one of the perviously listed conditions and wish to vote by mail, you must request a ballot in writing over your signature. The request can be made as many as 60 days in advance of an election and not later than seven days prior to an election. |
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| The request can also serve as the application for ballot if it contains the following information: voter's name (signature), voter's address in the county, voter's Social Security number, mailing address for mailing the ballot outside the county, the election in which the voter wishes to vote (including a party preference if the election is a primary), and the reason the voter is requesting to vote by mail. |
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| For any additional information, contact Administrator Cathy Lauer or Deputy Theresa Snyder by calling 775-7816 or 775-7817. |
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