With so much national attention on voting procedures and outcomes, I felt it timely to have a conversation with Deborah Viles, Administrator of Elections for the Union County Election Commission. She shares that the turnout of this election was the biggest turnout ever recorded in Union County, Tennessee. But before we get into the nitty-gritty of election regulations and procedures, let me introduce you to the woman responsible for seeing that our electoral process is carried out appropriately, because knowing and trusting her is key to trusting the process.

Viles grew up in Knox County, Tennessee. In 1977, she and her husband had been praying for God to lead them to a house to buy that would make a good home for their family, and He led them to Tater Valley. Shortly after their arrival, God called her husband into the ministry and he is now the Director of Missions for the Northern and Midland Baptist Association and has pastored several churches in Knox and Grainger counties. Deborah Viles graduated from Rule High School, where she got her first job. After marriage and having children she returned to the workforce when her son began school. Their children attended and graduated from Union County Schools.

As a young girl, Viles looked up to her mother, a secretary at a local firm, and aspired to be like her. She realized that goal when she worked as an Administrative Assistant for Union-Grainger Primary Care for about 4 years. Next, she worked for a physician in Knoxville until 2002, and then for New Hope Christian School until 2009 during which time she also was a real estate agent. Seeking a position that offered stability and provided good benefits, Viles applied for and was hired in 2009 by the Union County Election Commission.

I was overwhelmed and re-assured by the many security procedures that are in place to ensure that every vote is valid and counted, and only once per registered voter here in Union County, and throughout the state of Tennessee. Each state has its own election laws created by its state legislature. Viles emphasizes that in Tennessee this is an open process, always open to the public. Locally, the election commission is made up of 5 people. The majority in the election commission must reflect the majority in the state House of Representatives therefore the Union County Election Commission is comprised of 3 Republicans and 2 Democrats, or was until the death of JV Waller, leaving one Democrat seat vacant. The voting machines and the box for collecting absentee ballots are kept in a locked room where no one except the Election Administrator has access until they are needed.

Ninety days before an election, the absentee ballot box is brought out and inspected by two members of the election commission: a Democrat and a Republican, both of which have a padlock and the only key for that padlock. Once they have verified that the box is empty, they each lock it with their padlock and keep the key. Each one also attaches a pre-numbered seal, which the Administrator records. Absentee ballots are only mailed out after they have been applied for. In an average election year, Viles receives 280-300 absentee ballots, but this year 683 absentee ballots were cast. There are several reasons a voter might apply for an absentee ballot, one frequent reason selected is the voter is age 60 or older. Whatever the reason, the voter must request an absentee ballot, provide identifying information, and sign the application for an absentee ballot. The ballot request application must be complete, and the signature or mark must match the one on file.

The election security process has several steps:
- Check to see if the voter is registered.
- Confirm that all information is provided.
- Validate the signature or mark matches the one on record. (If the voter is no longer able to sign/mark, both the person assisting the voter and a witness must sign.)
- When the ballot is returned, the envelope is signed to again verify the voter who is casting the vote; sealed and signed Ballots inside their envelopes are placed into the metal ballot box and not counted until Election Day.
- Voters are listed on voter logs in their assigned polling location and the log is marked to indicate they have voted; they can’t walk into another polling location, where they will not appear on the log, and cast a second vote.

The election commission appoints an absentee ballot counting board comprised of an equal number of Republicans and Democrats. (This year Union County had 5 each.) They meet in the big courtroom, swear an oath, and inspect the pre-numbered seals to verify that they are the same ones placed 90 days previously, each key holder unlocks his/her padlock, the contents are removed and counted. They have a list of every voter who should have a ballot in the box. They separate the ballots from the identifying envelope and count the absentee ballots.

Voting machines are brought out before Election Day to be programmed and certified to verify that zero votes are recorded before the polls are open. They are first made open to the public so that anyone can inspect them, with inspection date and times advertised to the public. These machines do not have internet or Wi-Fi capabilities, so it is impossible to hack them. Every machine has an audit trail and can be audited for the life of the machine and per election. Two technicians verify that the count is zero and that the programmed ballot is correct. After the polls close, an election officer tallies the machines and the number of votes cast and compares that to the number of voters based on their signatures in the voter registration books.

Other duties carried out by the election administrator are:

1. Daily checking obituaries and announcements from funeral homes to remove the deceased from the list of eligible voters.
2. Each evening, generating a report of any changes to the state.
3. Each morning, pulling reports from other counties that may impact a voter’s eligibility to vote in Union County.
4. Monthly receiving a report of those who are deceased per Social Security to purge from the registered voters.

The next and only election in 2021 is on June 3, 2021 - Luttrell City Election – for Mayor and two City Council Seats
• First day for petitions – January 19, 2021
• Qualifying deadline – Noon, March 18, 2021
• Write-In deadline – April 14, 2021
• Last Day to register to vote (including property rights registrations) – May 4, 2021
• First day for Absentee requests – March 6, 2021
• Early Voting (if applicable) will be held from May 14 through May 29, 2021.
The election commission has continued to meet monthly, despite the pandemic, but with appropriate safety measures such as maintaining a six-foot distance and wearing masks. The Election Commission meets the second Thursday of each month at 2:00 pm in the small courtroom.

The Administrator of Election office hours are Monday-Friday from 8:00 am-4:00 pm. The office is located at:
901 Main Street, Suite 108
P. O. Box 39, Maynardville, TN 37807
Phone (865) 992-3471
Fax (865) 745-1127
E-mail – union.commission@tn.gov