Stories Related to Hawkins Approves Lease With Church Hill Rescue Squad For Early Voting

ROGERSVILLE — Hawkins County's satellite early voting location in eastern Hawkins County will change from Church Hill's Clay Lodge to the Church Hill Rescue Squad, despite a last ditch attempt by the lodge to cut its rent proposal. Nearly every county office and several state and federal offices are up for election in 2018, and there will be three early voting sessions in Hawkins County totaling 51 days. Elections Administrator Donna Sharp told the Hawkins County Commission on Monday that the change wasn't just about the $15-per-day rent increase that the Clay Lodge requested, although that did add up to $765. Sharp said her election workers have complained about being harassed while working early voting at the Clay Lodge and have stated they won't go back there. She said there has also been a problem with the building not being clean when they arrive in the morning to open for early voting. "I have election workers who call me in the middle of the day saying they had to put up with certain individuals harassing them, and they are not going to come back," Sharp told the commission Monday.