MARISA ANDERS/Claiborne Progress Early voters have their choice of two locations in Claiborne County. This location is the Election Commission office, located on Main Street in Tazewell. Election officials are urging voters to take advantage of early voting to avoid long lines on Election Day, Nov. 6.

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If you don’t want to wait in long lines on Election Day, take advantage of early voting.

That’s the advice of local and state election officials, who say that early voting is breaking records across the state of Tennessee. With all 95 counties reporting, more than 100,000 voters statewide cast ballots for the first two days in a row, bringing the overall total to 228,245 voters in two days. Early voting began Oct. 17.

“Tennessee voters clearly want their voices to be heard in this election,” said Secretary of State Tre Hargett. “I am grateful to the county election officials who have worked hard to prepare for this large turnout.”

In Claiborne County, Claiborne County Election Commissioner Carolyn O’Dell said that there were 302 voters on Wednesday and 321 voters on Thursday.

“That’s more than double what we usually have,” she said. “If this keeps up we will break records for voter turnout.”

Registered voters can vote early in two Claiborne County locations: The Election Commission office, located on Main Street in Tazewell across from Tazewell Baptist Church, or Harrogate City Hall, located just off Hwy. 63 next to H.Y. Livesay Middle School. Those locations are open for voters’ convenience through Thursday, Nov. 1. Early voting will take place Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Absentee ballots can still be picked up through Oct. 30, according to O’Dell. They must be back in the Election Commission office by Election Day, which is Tuesday, Nov. 6.

For more information on voting, call the office of the Election Commission at 423-626-5128 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.