There are 267 article(s) tagged Shelby County Election Commission:

• March 2026

  • Sanford: State lawmaker’s return to Nashville likely depends on write-ins

    “Failing to take care of something so basic as filing a valid petition with 25 legitimate signatures shows an inattention to detail that warrants criticism.”

    By Otis Sanford March 21, 2026

  • Four Tenn. Legislature incumbents win reelection at filing deadline

    Here’s what the 16 races for seats in the Tennessee legislature representing Shelby County looked like at the Tuesday deadline to get on the Aug. 6 ballot. Check out the full list for all of the races via a link in the story.

    By Bill Dries March 13, 2026

  • State Rep. Hardaway not on August ballot according to state list

    The deadline to file qualifying petitions to get on the August state and federal primary ballot was noon Tuesday, March 10.

    By Bill Dries March 11, 2026

• February 2026

  • Here’s who made the Shelby County primary ballot

    A total of 121 candidates made the deadline to file their qualifying petitions with the Shelby County Election Commission.

    By Bill Dries February 23, 2026

  • A look at which County races could be won at the noon deadline

    May ballot races thick and thin develop ahead of Thursday’s noon deadline, with a warning a final list could take a while.

    By Bill Dries February 19, 2026

  • ‘State of the City’ stormy; Blackburn compares Jan. 6 inquiry to Watergate; Cohen says ICE is ‘running rampant’

    Also in the political roundup: the art and law of qualifying petitions; August state and federal primary takes shape, and the Tennessee delegation to D.C. keeps to partisan lines.

    By Bill Dries February 15, 2026

  • Republican candidate emerges for county mayor

    A well-known Republican candidate for Shelby County mayor has emerged after all: Former state Rep. John DeBerry of Memphis is weighing a bid in the Republican primary for Shelby County mayor.

    By Bill Dries February 12, 2026

• January 2026

  • Justin J. Pearson running for reelection and U.S. House

    Races on the May and August ballots continue to take shape ahead of filing deadlines in February and March.

    By Bill Dries January 21, 2026

  • MSCS adds Shelby County Commission to ballot lawsuit

    The MSCS board’s new complaint makes a special case for board member Tamarques Porter of District 4 who “will suffer a unique harm.”

    By Laura Testino January 21, 2026

  • 2020 Black Lives Matter protest organizer to challenge Cohen for Congress

    Already facing Rep. Justin J. Pearson, Steve Cohen faces a new challenger; one who was active during the George Floyd protests in Memphis years ago. 

    By Bill Dries January 19, 2026

  • Opening day action to get on August ballot dominated with familiar faces

    Six of the 13 incumbent state House members representing Shelby County in Nashville checked out petitions on Friday’s opening day. Meanwhile, several judicial positions on the August ballot as special elections are also filling up.

    By Bill Dries January 12, 2026

  • Here come the candidates for August elections

    Friday is the first day to check out and file qualifying petitions to get on the Aug. 6 ballot featuring state and federal primaries.

    By Bill Dries January 09, 2026

  • Election Commission hits the brakes for certain MSCS seats, citing judicial order

    The Shelby County Election Commission will stop issuing petitions for five MSCS seats in response to an order from a local judge. 

    By Laura Testino January 08, 2026

  • Political roundup: Mike Williams picks a race, Cohen doesn’t endorse, more

    Former Memphis Police Association president Mike Williams picks a race. Also, a nonendorsement by U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, a new city policy director and a review of the Election Commission’s revamped website.

    By Bill Dries January 06, 2026

• December 2025

  • Push cards, blue pens and big ambitions: 2026 Shelby County races get underway

    The first day Monday, Dec. 22, of the period to get on the May 5 Shelby County primary ballot opened to a crowd of contenders Downtown and those who are already working on their campaigns.

    Related content:

    Who’s running in the 2026 Memphis school board election?

    By Bill Dries December 22, 2025

  • MSCS board sues Election Commission over shortened terms

    “This case presents a stark example of legislative punishment masquerading as election reform,” attorneys wrote in the lawsuit filed in Shelby County Chancery Court on Monday, Dec. 15.

    By Laura Testino December 17, 2025

• July 2025

  • Candidates ‘have the responsibility for turnout’

    The Shelby County Election Commission chairman and the elections administrator talked about low voter turnout and election off year mechanics on “Behind The Headlines.”

    By Bill Dries July 05, 2025

• June 2025

  • Political Roundup: Lowery stumps, red state strategies and new voter numbers

    The Political Roundup looks at some sparks in the early field for Shelby County in the 2026 county elections and examines the political divide over what kind of a relationship a majority Democratic or blue city should keep with leaders of a red state.

    By Bill Dries June 30, 2025

• April 2025

  • Political Roundup: Shelby County Democrats stalled on chair, more

    Local Democrats set a May 31 date to pick a chair, Patricia Possel is the newest Shelby County election commissioner and Congressman Steve Cohen says revoking student visas is causing problems on Memphis college campuses.

    By Bill Dries April 29, 2025

• November 2024

  • Political Roundup: Breaking down details of certified election results

    Shifts in the absentee vote totals and provisional ballots that were due in some part to the uncertainty by voters that absentee ballots could reach the Shelby County Election Commission by mail in time.

    By Bill Dries November 29, 2024

  • It’s official: Certification puts 2024 Shelby County election results in record book

    Some of the vote totals changed in the set of local, state and federal races because of the addition of 250 provisional ballots counted after the Nov. 5 election night. The additional votes didn’t change the outcome in any of the races.

    By Bill Dries November 26, 2024

  • Political Roundup: The new election-returns layout, Hagerty defends Gaetz

    After years of problems with the posting of election returns on its website, the Shelby County Election Commission has switched to a new system that also features precinct-by-precinct results and maps.

    By Bill Dries November 17, 2024

  • Election Commission sets runoff date for Collierville

    The Shelby County Election Commission decided Thursday that a Collierville runoff will be held Dec. 10 to fill the office held by Alderman John Worley.

    By Abigail Warren November 14, 2024

  • Shelby County voter turnout lowest for presidential race since at least 1968

    The unofficial election results released Nov. 6 show the presidential general election drew a majority of voters in Shelby County, but not by much. President-elect Donald Trump won fewer local votes this year than in 2020.

    By Bill Dries November 07, 2024

  • Shelby County tops 600,000 voters as registration deadline nears

    The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 5 presidential general election is Monday, Oct. 7. Meanwhile, new voter registration numbers show Shelby County has seen an uptick in voters on the rolls.

    By Bill Dries November 06, 2024