Elections - Historical Notes

Districts - Reapportionment

The acts listed below have affected the civil districts in Hawkins County, but are no longer operative regarding elections.  Also referenced below are acts which repeal prior law without providing new substantive provisions.

1. Private Acts of 1931, Chapter 710, created a new civil district in Hawkins County which was called the tenth civil district, which composed the Dodson Creek Ward in the first civil district.  An election was required for the citizens of the new tenth civil district to elect two justices of  the peace and one constable.  The act was repealed by Private Acts of 1933, Chapter 126, in its entirety.
2. Private Acts of 1949, Chapter 837, extended the hours of holding elections in the seventh and ninth civil districts of Hawkins County to 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Elections

The following is a listing of acts for Hawkins County which affected the elective process, but which have been superseded or repealed.  They are listed here for historical and reference purposes.  Also referenced below are acts which repeal prior law without providing new substantive provisions.

1. Acts of 1799, Chapter 46, appointed electors for the election of the president and vice-president of the United States.  Hawkins County selected Joel Dyer, James Hogan, and William Armstrong, Esquire, as their electors.
2. Acts of 1803, Chapter 24, provided for election of electors of president and vice president of the United States.  The counties of Hawkins, Claiborne, Grainger, Jefferson and Cocke composed one election district and elected one elector.
3. Acts of 1805, Chapter 64, apportioned the state into thirteen senatorial and twenty-six representative districts.  Hawkins and Sullivan counties jointly elected one state senator and Hawkins County was given one representative alone.
4. Acts of 1806, Chapter 16, made it lawful for the residents of Hawkins County living north of the Clinch River to meet at the house of David Garrison on those days set aside for elections in order to vote for a governor, members to congress, members to the general assembly of the state, and to elect an elector to elect a president and vice president of the United States.  It was the duty of the sheriff to hold the election.
5. Acts of 1807, Chapter 74, divided the state into five presidential electoral districts.  The counties of Hawkins, Washington, Greene, Sullivan and Carter made up one electoral district and elected one elector.
6. Acts of 1812, Chapter 5, divided the state into eight electoral districts for the purpose of electing electors of a president and vice president of the United States.  The counties of Hawkins, Sullivan, Carter, Washington and Greene composed the first electoral district and elected one elector.
7. Acts of 1812, Chapter 27, provided for the election of representatives from the state to the United States Congress.  The state was divided into six representative districts, with the counties of Hawkins, Sullivan, Carter, Washington and Greene composing the first representative district and elected one representative district to congress.
8. Acts of 1812, Chapter 57, apportioned the representation of the state in the Tennessee Legislature.  The counties of Hawkins and Sullivan composed an election district and elected one senator.
9. Public Acts of 1819, Chapter 69, apportioned the representation of the state in the Tennessee  Legislature.  Hawkins and Sullivan counties composed one election district and elected one senator.  In addition, Hawkins County elected one representative to the legislature.
10. Private Acts of 1820, Chapter 127, set up a separate election precinct for all elections in local, state and federal governments, at Surgoinesville in Hawkins County.
11. Public Acts of 1822, Chapter 1, divided the state into congressional districts for the election of representatives to the United States Congress.  The counties of Hawkins, Carter, Washington, Sullivan and Greene composed the first congressional district.
12. Public Acts of 1823, Chapter 47, divided the state into eleven electoral districts for the purpose of electing electors of a president and vice president of the United States.  The first district was composed of the counties of Hawkins, Carter, Sullivan, Washington and Greene and elected one elector.
13. Public Acts of 1824, Chapter 1, divided the state into eleven electoral districts for the purpose of electing electors of a president and vice president of the United States.  The first district was composed of the counties of Hawkins, Carter, Sullivan, Washington and Greene and elected one elector.
14. Public Acts of 1826, Chapter 3, apportioned the representation in the general assembly of the state.  The counties of Hawkins, Carter and Sullivan composed one senatorial district and elected one senator.  In addition, Hawkins County elected one representative to the state legislature.
15. Public Acts of 1827, Chapter 17, divided the state into eleven electoral districts for the purpose of electing electors of a president and vice president of the United States.  The first district was composed of the counties of Hawkins, Carter, Sullivan, Washington and Greene and elected one elector.
16. Public Acts of 1832, Chapter 4, divided the state into congressional districts for the election of representatives to the United States Congress.  The counties of Hawkins, Sullivan, Grainger, Claiborne and Campbell composed the second congressional district.
17. Public Acts of 1832, Chapter 9, divided the state into electoral districts for the purposes of choosing electors to vote for a president and vice president of the United States.  The counties of Hawkins, Sullivan, Grainger and Claiborne composed the second district and elected one elector.
18. Public Acts of 1833, Chapter 71, divided the state into senatorial and representative districts.  The counties of Hawkins and Sullivan composed one district and elected one senator.  In addition the same two counties composed one representative district and elected one representative.
19. Public Acts of 1833, Chapter 76, divided the state into districts to elect delegates for a convention in Nashville for the purpose of revising the state constitution.  Hawkins County formed one district and elected one delegate to the convention.
20. Public Acts of 1835-36, Chapter 39, divided the state into fifteen electoral districts for the purpose of electing electors to vote for a president and vice president of the United States.  The counties of Hawkins, Grainger, Sullivan and Claiborne composed the second electoral district and elected one elector.
21. Acts of 1842, Extra Session, Chapter 1, apportioned the representation in the general assembly of the state.  The counties of Hawkins and Greene composed the second senatorial district and elected one senator, while Hawkins, Washington and Greene counties composed one representative district and elected one representative.
22. Acts of 1842, Extra Session, Chapter 7, divided the state into congressional districts in order to elect representatives to the United States Congress.  The counties of Hawkins, Johnson, Carter, Sullivan, Washington, Greene and Cocke composed the first congressional district.
23. Acts of 1851-52, Chapter 196, divided the state into congressional districts in order to elect representatives to the United States Congress.  The counties of Hawkins, Johnson, Carter, Sullivan, Washington, Greene and Cocke composed the first congressional district.  Acts of 1851-52, Chapter 196, also apportioned the representation in the general assembly of the state.  Hawkins County elected one representative and elected one senator with the counties of Hancock and Jefferson.
24. Acts of 1851-52, Chapter 197, apportioned the representation in the general assembly of the state.  The counties of Hawkins, Greene, Hancock and Jefferson jointly elected one representative.  The counties of Hawkins, Hancock and Jefferson composed one senatorial district.
25. Public Acts of 1865, Chapter 34, divided the state into congressional districts in order to elect representatives to the United States Congress.  The counties of Hawkins, Johnson, Carter, Sullivan, Washington, Hancock, Greene, Cocke, Jefferson, Grainger and Sevier composed the first congressional district.
26. Public Acts of 1871, Chapter 146, apportioned the representation in the general assembly of the state.  Hawkins County elected one representative and composed the second senatorial district along with Sullivan, Hamblen, Hancock and Claiborne counties.
27. Acts of 1872, Extra Session, Chapter 7,  divided the state into congressional districts in order to elect representatives to the United States Congress.  The first congressional district was composed of the counties of Hawkins, Johnson, Carter, Sullivan, Washington, Greene, Hancock, Claiborne, Union, Grainger, Hamblen and Cocke.
28. Public Acts of 1873, Chapter 27, divided the state into congressional districts in order to elect representatives to the United States Congress.  The first congressional district was composed of the counties of Hawkins, Johnson, Carter, Sullivan, Washington, Greene, Hancock, Claiborne, Grainger, Hamblen and Cocke.
29. Public Acts of 1881, Extra Session, Chapter 6, apportioned the counties of the state into representative and senatorial districts.  The voters in Hawkins County elected one representative and jointly elected one representative with Hamblen and Hancock counties.  Furthermore, the second senatorial district was composed of the counties of Hawkins, Greene and Hancock.
30. Public Acts of 1882, Second Extra Session, Chapter 27, divided the state into congressional districts in order to elect representatives to the United States Congress.  The first congressional district was composed of the counties of Hawkins, Johnson, Carter, Sullivan, Washington, Unicoi, Greene, Hamblen, Hancock, Claiborne, Cocke and Grainger.
31. Public Acts of 1891, Chapter 131, divided the state into congressional districts in order to elect representatives to the United States Congress.  The first congressional district was composed of the counties of Hawkins, Johnson, Carter, Sullivan, Washington, Unicoi, Greene, Hamblen, Hancock, Claiborne, Cocke and Grainger.
32. Acts of 1891, Extra Session, Chapter 10, apportioned the counties of the state into representative and senatorial districts.  Hawkins County elected one representative and was placed in the second senatorial district along with Sullivan and Hamblen counties.
33. Public Acts of 1901, Chapter 109, divided the state into congressional districts in order to elect representatives to the United States Congress.  The first congressional district was composed of the counties of Hawkins, Sullivan, Johnson, Carter, Unicoi, Washington, Greene, Hancock, Claiborne, Grainger, Cocke and Sevier.
34. Public Acts of 1901, Chapter 122, apportioned the counties of the state into representative and senatorial districts.  Hawkins County elected one representative and jointly elected a representative with Sullivan County in the second representative district.  In addition, Hawkins County was placed in the second senatorial district along with Sullivan County.  This act was amended by Acts of 1905, Chapter 463, by placing Hawkins County in the third senatorial district.
35. Private Acts of 1913, Chapter 142, provided that no registration of voters would be required as a prerequisite to voting in Hawkins County.  This act was amended by Private Acts of 1931, Chapter 804, by adding a provision that the 1913 act shall not apply to the fourth civil district of the county but the general laws of the state will govern that area, and by adding a new section which divided the fourth civil district into two voting wards with Lee Highway being the dividing line.  Private Acts of 1947, Chapter 699, further amended Private Acts of 1913, Chapter 142, with regard to the voting process and requiring voters to register if they have changed their residence, changed their name or lost their legal right to vote by a court judgement.
36. Private Acts of 1929, Chapter 353, stated that at any election in Hawkins County, any voter who declares to the officer, or judge, holding the election that, by reason of blindness, or other physical defect, he is unable to mark his ballot, shall, upon request, receive the assistance of the officer in the marking of his ballot, who shall do so only in the presence of the three judges of the election, and strictly as directed to do by the voter, and the above action shall be certified by the officer of the election.  This act was repealed by Private Acts of 1931, Chapter 34.
37. Private Acts of 1945, Chapter 331, stated that in Hawkins County the compensation of all the judges, clerks, registrars, markers and officers holding a general, special or called election, and all legalized primary elections for each political party shall be fixed at $2.00 per day for one day only to be paid in the same manner as they are now being paid.
38. Private Acts of 1949, Chapter 848, provided that election officials in any civil district of Hawkins County who were required to keep the polls open longer than in other districts shall be paid $2.00 a day each in addition to the compensation allowed all election officials, as pay for additional services.
39. Private Acts of 1951, Chapter 279, set the compensation of election officials in Hawkins County at $5.00 per day for their services, not to exceed one day in any election.  This act was amended by Private Acts of 1961, Chapter 164, which provided that the compensation of election officials be set to $1.00 per hour for each hour the polls were open, the sum of which was not to exceed $10.00 in any election.