Financial disclosures sometimes shed light on who is backing candidates in the non-partisan race.

Thursday is the last day to vote early ahead of next Tuesday’s election day, as congressmen David Kustoff and Steve Cohen predict who will control the House. Plus: Notes on school funding, MLGW and the first mayoral forum.

A challenge to a six-month residency rule by a Mason, Tennessee, mayoral candidate came with a ruling last month that could revive a five-year residency requirement in the Memphis mayoral race.

“Brent’s experiences have equipped him to make a positive impact in the state Senate. He will be the voice in the Tennessee legislature desperately needed for Shelby County.”

Hernando officials have prepared a list of frequently asked questions to clarify the use of a 1% tax on prepared foods.

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Hernando to vote on 1% tax for parks

Hernando voters will consider adding a 1% tax to prepared foods, such as restaurants and delis, to help fund an improved parks program in the DeSoto County city.

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Hernando votes on 1% tax: Frequently asked questions

The funding is for a marketing firm to work with the Election Commission to not only explain the new voting system to voters, but also chart the areas of low voter turnout across the county.

The East Memphis district is one of only a handful where Tennessee Democrats think they have a chance to gain ground in the Republican-dominated General Assembly.

The new hybrid voting system allows hand-marked paper ballots or voting on a touch-screen machine. Mulroy expressed concern that the Shelby County Election Commission was not following through on its compromise to use both voting systems. 

Two seats of the DeSoto County School Board will be elected in November, one of the offices to replace longtime politician Milton Nichols.

“In the name of individual freedom, these business interest groups wish to create different classes of workers to keep them pitted against each other instead of working in harmony for improved conditions in the workplace.”

At a Shelby County Young Democrats forum, Joe Brown, Van Turner and Paul Young talked about name recognition, experience, crime, Black business ownership and, in one case, how women have no place in the mayor’s race. 

How to handle crime in Memphis will dominate Bonner’s mayoral platform. Meanwhile, another contender in the race told supporters Tuesday the next mayor shouldn’t be someone who will “keep us steady”

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Sheriff officially running for mayor

Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. joined the early forming field for Memphis mayor Tuesday, Oct. 25, with a formal announcement from Clark Tower. 

“I’m fully aware of the arguments against voting. It’s a waste of time. It won’t change anything. No time to vote. Can’t trust any of them. My candidate won’t win anyway. But our lives are affected by the people we vote into office.”

The county’s early voter total through the first four days of the period is tops in the state. 

Alderman candidates Scott Sanders and Manjit Kaur are running in the only contested election in Germantown this year. Their campaign financial filings provide the starkest difference between them.

Republican Brent Taylor says he wants to focus on crime and business, rather than culture wars. Ruby Powell-Dennis wants to flip the seat for the Democrats with a message of ending racial and economic injustice.

Bonner’s announcement follows several months of consideration on the heels of his easy second term win in the August county general election.

The four candidates for Bartlett mayor made their final campaign stances this week at a forum.

Two offices are contested for the Millington Municipal Schools board on the Nov. 8 ballot, along with two candidates running unopposed.

Chris Ford, 54, an insurance salesman, will defend the Position 3 alderman seat against Tom Stephens, a retired firefighter.

The Wednesday, Oct. 19, opening came with some new restrictions on campaigning near several voting sites and indications that the choice to vote on new machines or vote with a hand-marked paper ballot will be watched as closely as the vote totals.

Here’s all you need to know about voting early and the new system that offers voters a choice between new voting machines and hand-marked paper ballots.

A Collierville Schools mother and real estate agent is challenging an incumbent school board member who has served since the district’s inception.