Let Moore County Run Its Own Elections

#Opinion • 6:10 p.m. Feb. 19, 2026

Well, that was fun. The Wednesday fire drill regarding the filing deadline for county elections caused confusion that trickled down from the state level to the Moore County Administrator of Elections, Jim Sanders, and candidates. And the root of the problem: politics. More specifically, politics outside Moore County.

The new primary law was signed by Gov. Bill Lee last year. Obviously, there was not enough follow-up to understand how this law would affect Moore County. A conference call on Tuesday night among elections officials did not clarify; Sanders alerted at least three candidates who reached out to the Observer that the deadline was noon Thursday (Feb. 19), instead of March 10.

Panic set in. Chaos ensued. Sanders was inundated with candidates asking for clarity. Douglas Carson, a Metro Council candidate, reached out to the state for guidance. He was told the same thing I was. This is the explanation from the Secretary of State's office:

The qualifying deadline for Republican, Democratic, or independent candidates for Trustee, Sheriff, Circuit Court Clerk, County Clerk, Register of Deeds, and School Board is February 19 at noon.

The qualifying deadline for Metropolitan Executive and Metropolitan Council is noon on March 10, 2026, because there is not a primary election for those offices.

After a couple of anxiety-filled hours, multiple phone calls to and from Nashville, and visits to Sanders' office, it was determined that Thursday was the deadline for elections other than mayor and council.

For a county that has been non-partisan since Moby Dick was a minnow, it was clear as mud on some levels – and in one part runs contrary to the Moore County Charter, which states:

§ 13.05 – Regular and Run-off Metropolitan Government Elections: All elections for Metropolitan Executive, Metropolitan Council, and School Board shall be non-partisan and the candidate receiving the greatest number of votes cast for each office shall be elected.

(Notice that school board elections are now partisan in the state's eyes. Would it be appropriate to mention "indoctrination" at this time?)

The main issue in the debate over election policy is simple: local self-governance matters.

In Moore County, people have chosen for years to hold elections without party labels. Candidates run as non-partisan, and voters look at the person, not the party. This is a conscious choice that reflects the community’s culture, values, and political style.

Now, Tennessee requires counties to hold partisan primaries so Republican and Democratic nominees appear on the ballot. Moore County did not ask for this change and does not want it, but it is being forced on them.

This should worry anyone who believes government power should come from the people, not be handed down from the statehouse.

Local Choice vs. State Mandate

Non-partisan elections in Moore County have created a political environment focused on neighbors, qualifications, and accountability rather than national party narratives. Local races for county commission, sheriff, school board, or mayor are about roads, budgets, classrooms, and public safety, not about what’s happening in Washington.

Forcing partisan primaries changes that system. It brings party politics into a process that has worked without them. It also adds more paperwork, higher costs, and new political issues that may not match what local voters want.

The real question is: Why should the state government change a county’s long-standing election system when the county hasn’t asked for it?

The Principle of Subsidiarity

Good government means making decisions at the lowest level that can handle them well. Counties run elections, manage polling places, and certify results. They know their own turnout, ballot needs, and what their community expects.

When the state imposes partisan rules where none existed, it replaces local experience with decisions made far away. That’s not efficient; it’s centralizing power.

Some people say statewide consistency makes the system stronger. But making everything the same isn’t always good if it ignores what local people want. A rural county with fewer than 7,000 people doesn’t need the same rules as a big city.

Community Identity Matters

Moore County’s non-partisan tradition is not a mistake. It shows that people here want to judge candidates for who they are. For many voters, not having party labels lowers division and helps more people get involved.

Making primaries partisan changes the ballot. It changes how campaigns work, how candidates talk, and how they present themselves. It could also bring national political fights into local races that have avoided them in the past.

That’s a big cultural change, and it shouldn’t happen without the community’s agreement.

Representation or Overreach?

The state does have the legal right to regulate elections. That’s not the question. The real issue is whether it’s wise and whether it respects local control.

When a county that has run non-partisan elections well is told it must switch to partisan primaries, it sends a troubling message that local choices don’t matter as much as state politics.

If people in Moore County ever want partisan primaries, we should be able to ask for that change. But if we haven’t, forcing it on us is just overruling our wishes.

A Question of Trust

At its core, this debate is about trust.

Do we trust local communities to run their elections in ways that align with their values? Or do we think the state should make every community follow the same rules, no matter how different they are?

Moore County has made its choice. It has worked without partisan primaries and hasn’t asked for the state to step in. Respecting that choice isn’t about party politics. It’s about democracy.

Local government works best when it stays local.

• • •

What the Moore County Charter Says

Section 13 of the Moore County Charter addresses elections. This is what Section 13 says on the fifth-grade reading level:

§ 13.01 – Election Commission

The Moore County Election Commission will continue to serve as the Metropolitan Election Commission. This group is in charge of calling and running elections. It must also hold all general and primary elections required by state law. The commission chooses polling places and makes sure they are easy for the public to use while keeping election costs as low as possible. Unless this document says something different, all Metropolitan Government elections will follow the same state laws used for county elections.

§ 13.02 – Times and Expenses of Elections

The Metropolitan General Services District will pay for all Metropolitan Government elections and any elections required by state law. General elections for Metropolitan Government and constitutional offices will be held on the first Thursday in August of every even-numbered year, when needed. Elections required by state law will be held at the times set by those laws. The Metropolitan Council may change the date of Metropolitan Government elections by up to 14 days so they happen at the same time as state-required elections.

§ 13.03 – Who Can Vote

People can vote in Metropolitan Government elections if they live in Moore County, are legally registered to vote, and are allowed to vote in state elections.

They may vote for council or school district leaders in the district where they live. They may also vote for leaders chosen by the whole county and in other countywide elections.

For elections in smaller areas, like annexations or Special Service Districts, voters must be registered in Moore County and must live in or own property in that smaller area.

§ 13.04 – How a Name Gets on the Ballot

A person can be listed on the ballot as a candidate for Metropolitan Government office if they are nominated by a petition.

The petition must:
• Be signed by at least 25 voters who are allowed to vote for that office.
• Be turned in to the Election Commission by the first Thursday of the second month before the election.
• Include a statement from the candidate saying they meet all the rules for the office.

§ 13.05 – Regular and Run-Off Elections (Fifth Grade Reading Level)

All elections for Metropolitan Executive, Metropolitan Council, and School Board are non-partisan. This means the candidates do not run as part of a political party. The person who gets the most votes for each office wins.

If the top two candidates for any Metropolitan Government office are tied, a run-off election will be held between them. The Election Commission will choose the date for the run-off. It must take place at least 15 days, but no more than 45 days, after the regular election. The candidate who gets the most votes in the run-off wins.

§ 13.06 – Questions Voted on by the People (Fifth Grade Reading Level)

The Election Commission must place certain questions on the ballot during a regular election or, if needed, a special election. These questions are called referenda.

Referenda may include:
• Changes to this Charter.
• Creating or changing a Special Service District.
• Removing Metropolitan Government officers from office.
• Some bond issues.
• Voting to adopt or repeal laws by initiative or referendum.
• Other questions required by this Charter.

A referendum passes if more than half of the people who vote choose “yes.”

§ 13.07 – How Referendum Elections Work

When the Election Commission receives a law or request that must be voted on by the people, it must place the proposal on the ballot for a special referendum election. This special election must be held at least 45 days, but no more than 90 days, after the request is received.

If a countywide election is already planned within 120 days, the proposal will be added to that ballot instead, and no special election will be held.

The Election Commission must also publish the proposal in a newspaper that people in the Metropolitan General Services District can read. It must be printed on at least three different days. These notices must appear no more than 20 days and no fewer than 5 days before the referendum election.

§ 13.08 – Rules for Referendum Petitions

Referenda must take place in the correct area, such as the whole Metropolitan General Services District or a smaller service or election district. A referendum can be requested by filing a petition that follows the rules in § 13.09.

These petitions may ask to:
• Remove an elected official from office (except constitutional officials).
• Approve or repeal laws about Special Service Districts.

If a petition wants to cancel a law that creates or changes a special district, it must be filed within 45 days after that law is passed. No action can be taken under that law until the referendum process is finished.

For petitions that ask to pass a new law, cancel a law, or change the Charter, the Metropolitan Council has 45 days to adopt the proposal after the Election Commission decides the petition is valid. If the Council does not act in that time, the referendum will move forward.

When the Election Commission decides a petition is valid, it must quickly notify the Metropolitan Council.

§ 13.09 – Rules for Referendum Petitions

For recall elections or other referendum questions, a petition must follow these rules:

• It must be signed and dated by at least 10% of the qualified voters who voted in the most recent general election in the area affected.

• Each person who signs must include their address next to or below their signature.

• Each page must clearly state the question being voted on.

• Each page must include a sworn statement saying the signatures are real and were signed in front of the person making the statement. One sworn statement may cover several pages that are attached together.

After the petition is filed, the Council must quickly check to see:
• If the petition is in the correct form.
• If it has enough valid signatures.
• If the signatures are genuine.

If the petition is not good enough, the Council will return it with a written explanation of the problems. A new petition may be filed later, as long as any time limits are followed.

If the petition is valid, the Council will continue the process as described in § 13.08.

§ 13.10 – Recall Elections

If a recall election is held, the person in office will be removed only if more than half of the voters choose to recall them.

If the person is recalled, their office becomes empty right away. The empty office must then be filled as explained in § 2.08. (see below)

§ 13.11 – Changing District Boundaries

The Metropolitan Council may change the boundaries of Council and School Board districts by passing a law. Any changes must follow the rules in this Charter and state law.

These changes must be finished at least 60 days before an election for the offices affected by the new district lines.

The new district lines will only apply to future terms. People already in office will finish their current terms before the changes take effect.

•••

§ 2.08 – Empty Public Offices

If an elected office in the Metropolitan Government becomes empty, it will be filled by a public election at the next general election.

Until that election happens, the Metropolitan Council will choose someone who meets all the legal rules for the job. This person will serve only until a new person is elected and ready to take office.

If a non-elected office becomes empty, it will be filled the same way the job was first filled.

Any person chosen to fill an empty office will serve only for the rest of the original term, not a full new term.