I know it’s been horrible weather this week and voting has fallen to the bottom of your to-do list. And now you’ve missed early voting. So, you’re probably thinking…oh well, it’s only a local election. I’ll vote next year when it really matters.
But what if I told you your vote could be the deciding factor? Your vote could determine who your next city council representative is. Don’t believe me? I challenge you to read on.
We Have a Great Opportunity – Let’s not Waste It
For the first time in years, citizens in the Knoxville city districts may finally get to elect the candidate they want. In past City Council elections, every resident in the city of Knoxville was allowed to vote for candidates in every district. This led to districts with low voter turnout being overwhelmed with votes from other districts. Because of this, the candidate elected may not have even been the choice of the residents of that district.
That would explain why when you voted in the past you never seemed to be able to get your candidate elected. I get it. When you vote over and over again and it never makes a difference, it’s easy to get discouraged. It’s easy to say, “Forget voting. My vote doesn’t count anyway.” But it does. Here’s why.
Things Have Changed
Because of legislation proposed by Representative Elaine Davis, passed by the Tennessee Legislature, and signed by the governor, Knoxville citizens now can only vote in the district where they reside. This gives Knoxville residents a great opportunity to finally choose their own representation.
Knoxville residents are no longer having to overcome voters who don’t even live in their district. Only voters in that district will determine the winner. Your vote suddenly became so much more important.
Where Are All the Voters?
The problem is — it doesn’t look like voters are taking advantage of this awesome opportunity. While early voting numbers are relatively good compared to other non-presidential elections, we have a long way to go.
In the highly contested Presidential race of 2024, in the city of Knoxville alone, 70,210 citizens voted. That is amazing! Unfortunately, in the current election, only 10,855 citizens have voted in early voting which ended on Thursday. That’s a lot of people who aren’t voting.
Of course, many citizens wait until Election Day to cast their vote, but I doubt that over 50,000 people will turn out on Tuesday.
This is an important election. Knoxville voters are deciding if they are going to allow Mayor Kincannon to levy yet another huge tax increase on the already overburdened citizens of Knoxville. In addition, we are electing five seats out of the nine-member council. We can’t afford for conservatives to stay home.
We Can Use Low Voter Turnout
But we can make this work in our favor if you’ll help. Here’s an interesting fact. Your vote matters more in an election where voter turnout is low. These are the elections that are won by 100 votes, or maybe even 10. Your vote could be the deciding factor. How horrible would you feel if the candidate you think might do a better job lost by one vote, after you didn’t show up? Or what if Mayor Kincannon’s tax increase is approved by two votes, and you and your spouse didn’t vote? How will you feel then? More importantly, how do you explain that to your kids and grandkids? You had the chance to make a difference and you didn’t.
Republicans Finally Have Candidates on the Ballot
For years, Republicans have considered the city a loss politically. But this year, Republican candidates have stepped up and offered voters a choice. Perhaps the most important thing that sets these candidates apart from the other candidates is their opposition to Mayor Kincannon’s sales tax increase. But here is some more information on each of the conservative candidates.
In District 1, Becky Jones is the conservative candidate. Becky is a great supporter and advocate of our firefighters and police officers. She wants to tackle the exploding homeless problem head-on, bring back businesses, boost public safety, and cut wasteful spending.
Melody Watts is the conservative candidate running in District 2. She brings a youthful exuberance to the campaign focusing on public safety, the need for infrastructure to reduce traffic, and the restoration of fiscal responsibility to the city of Knoxville.
Doug Lloyd is a business owner who personally knows the frustration of dealing with Knoxville city government. He is determined to be the voice for the citizens of District 3 and “bring common sense principles back to the city council”. His priorities are job creation, reduction of property taxes, public safety, and the prioritization of current Knoxville homeless individuals over those who have just arrived in our city.
Jeff Talman hopes to represent District 4 on the Knoxville City Council. As a fiscal conservative, he wants to cut nonessential spending, remove red tape so businesses can create good-paying jobs, reform homelessness policies, and prioritize public safety by supporting frontline workers.
A Final Plea
I know you are busy, and I know you may be a disillusioned voter, but I’m asking you to put aside those frustrations and come out and vote on Tuesday. It is obvious looking at recent events, that Knoxville has begun sliding deeper into the liberal abyss. That slide can be stopped but only if we all work together. So please, if you have not voted, set aside time on Tuesday to go vote your conservative values. If you have voted, please share this post with friends who haven’t and encourage them to exercise their right to vote.