Tennessee Breaks Early Voting Record

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee has broken an early voting record with more than 540,000 people casting ballots before the Aug. 5 primary.

Secretary of State Tre Hargett said Monday that election officials were awaiting votes from two counties, but that the tally so far exceeded the 447,910 who voted early for the August 2006 elections, the last contested statewide Republican primary.

Hargett attributed the high turnout to three open congressional seats and a highly contested gubernatorial primary, which features three major Republican candidates and one Democratic candidate.

Says Hargett: "People are very interested in the future of our state and the future of our country."

The early voting period was from July 16-31.