BEDFORD COUNTY ELECTION · NOVEMBER 3, 2026
Bedford County 2026 General Election Guide: Early Voting, Candidates and Amendments
A source-led Bedford County voter guide for the November 3, 2026 state, federal and municipal election.
Bedford County’s voter calendar, ballot and candidate guide
Bedford County early voting runs October 14–29 at the Election Commission office in the courthouse annex. Published hours are weekdays 8 a.m.–5 p.m. and Saturdays October 17 and 24 from 8 a.m.–noon. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, with county polling hours from 9 a.m.–7 p.m. Bedford is now in U.S. House District 9. Voters will also see statewide races, Tennessee House District 62, three constitutional amendments and—when eligible—Shelbyville, Normandy or Wartrace municipal contests.
Bedford County 2026 general election: direct answer
Bedford County early voting runs October 14–29 at the Election Commission office in the courthouse annex. Published hours are weekdays 8 a.m.–5 p.m. and Saturdays October 17 and 24 from 8 a.m.–noon. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, with county polling hours from 9 a.m.–7 p.m. Bedford is now in U.S. House District 9. Voters will also see statewide races, Tennessee House District 62, three constitutional amendments and—when eligible—Shelbyville, Normandy or Wartrace municipal contests.
EARLY VOTING
Bedford County Election Commission, Courthouse Annex basement
100 Public Square West, Shelbyville, TN 37160
8 a.m.–5 p.m. · October 17 and October 24, 8 a.m.–noon
CHECK YOUR RECORD
Registration, ballot and precinct
Use the state voter lookup for the address-specific districts, polling place and registration record.
ELECTION OFFICE
Bedford County Election Commission
931-684-0531 · summer.leverette@bedfordcountytn.gov
Early voting and the November 3 election calendar
The registration deadline has passed. Early voting begins October 14, and the county lists Election Day polling from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the voter’s assigned precinct.
| Date | Event | Status | What voters should know |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 5, 2026 | Voter-registration deadline | Passed | Check an existing registration, address and assigned precinct through GoVoteTN. Tennessee does not offer same-day voter registration for this election. |
| October 14–29, 2026 | Early voting | Begins October 14 | Bedford County’s notice lists weekday voting from 8 a.m.–5 p.m. at the Election Commission office. |
| October 17 and 24, 2026 | Saturday early voting | 8 a.m.–noon | The county notice lists these two Saturday sessions and no Sunday early voting. |
| October 24, 2026 | Absentee-ballot request deadline | Request must be received | This is the request deadline for eligible voters, not the ballot-return deadline. Tennessee absentee voting by mail requires a qualifying reason. |
| November 3, 2026 | Election Day | 9 a.m.–7 p.m. local time | Vote at the precinct assigned to the voter’s address. An early-voting location is not automatically the Election Day precinct. |
Official Bedford County sample ballots
Open the state/federal ballot and any municipal ballot that applies to the voter’s official address. A postal city is not always the same as municipal ballot eligibility.
OFFICIAL SAMPLE BALLOT
Bedford County state and federal sample ballot
Who should use it: All eligible Bedford County voters, subject to their districts
Governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House District 9, Tennessee House District 62, constitutional amendments and any other district-specific items shown on the official ballot.
OFFICIAL SAMPLE BALLOT
Shelbyville municipal sample ballot
Who should use it: Eligible voters inside the applicable Shelbyville municipal boundaries or wards
Municipal contests appear in addition to the applicable state and federal ballot. Confirm eligibility by address rather than assuming a Shelbyville mailing address controls.
OFFICIAL SAMPLE BALLOT
Normandy municipal sample ballot
Who should use it: Eligible Normandy municipal voters
Use the official municipal sample ballot and voter lookup for the exact contests assigned to the address.
OFFICIAL SAMPLE BALLOT
Wartrace municipal sample ballot
Who should use it: Eligible Wartrace municipal voters
Use the official municipal sample ballot and voter lookup for the exact contests assigned to the address.
Major Bedford County races and candidates
Candidate status is based on the official county sample ballot and certified-candidate reporting. Independent candidates do not appear in a party primary, so a voter guide built only from primary winners would be incomplete.
Statewide
Governor of Tennessee
Blackburn and Green won their August party primaries. The official sample ballot contains the complete order and all independent names; do not build a ballot from primary winners alone.
Statewide
United States Senate
Hagerty and Bradshaw are the party nominees. The official ballot contains the complete independent field and ballot order.
Bedford County moved to District 9 for the 2026 ballot
United States House — District 9
Do not reuse Bedford County’s 2024 District 4 ballot. Current-term representation and the district used for the next congressional election are separate facts.
Bedford, Moore and part of Lincoln Counties
Tennessee House — District 62
Marsh and Akers were unopposed in their respective August primaries. This tracker lists ballot membership, not an endorsement or predicted result.
Current Bedford County state-senate district
Tennessee Senate — District 14
Tennessee’s 2026 state-senate election covers odd-numbered districts. Reeves’s District 14 seat is mid-term; his legislative activity remains covered in the permanent legislation tracker.
Three proposed Tennessee constitutional amendments
Each amendment is a separate yes-or-no vote. For a Tennessee constitutional amendment to pass, it must receive more yes votes than no votes and the number of yes votes must exceed one-half of all votes cast in the governor’s race. Skipping the governor’s race or an amendment can therefore affect the constitutional threshold.
Amendment 1 · Crime, public safety and pretrial detention
Bail for specified serious offenses
Current rule: The Tennessee Constitution generally guarantees bail before trial except for a capital offense when the proof is evident or the presumption great.
A yes vote: Would allow a judge or magistrate to deny bail under the same evidentiary standard for additional listed serious offenses, including terrorism, second-degree murder, aggravated rape, aggravated rape of a child, grave torture and specified offenses carrying an 85-percent service requirement. The judge or magistrate would state reasons on the record.
A no vote: Would leave the current constitutional right-to-bail language unchanged.
Amendment 2 · Taxes, fiscal policy and constitutional limits
Prohibit a statewide property tax
Current rule: Tennessee does not currently levy a statewide property tax, while counties and cities continue to levy local property taxes under state law.
A yes vote: Would add a constitutional prohibition preventing the Legislature from levying, authorizing or permitting a state tax on real, personal or mixed property.
A no vote: Would leave the Constitution without the proposed explicit statewide-property-tax prohibition.
Amendment 3 · Victims’ rights and criminal justice
Crime victims’ rights
Current rule: Article I, Section 35 already recognizes specified rights for crime victims.
A yes vote: Would replace the section with a broader list of rights involving notice, presence, participation, safety, restitution, release information, parole and consultation with prosecutors, while preserving due-process language and limiting damages claims.
A no vote: Would leave the existing constitutional crime-victim provision unchanged.
Shelbyville, Normandy and Wartrace municipal ballots
The county election page publishes separate municipal sample ballots for Shelbyville, Normandy and Wartrace. A voter receives a municipal contest only when the official registration record and municipal boundaries make that voter eligible.
- Use GoVoteTN for the voter’s assigned districts and precinct.
- Open the applicable municipal sample ballot before voting.
- Do not infer municipal eligibility from a mailing address, subdivision name or nearest polling place.
- Contact the Election Commission when a ballot assignment appears inconsistent with the voter’s address.
Election Day precincts and polling-place lookup
The county’s precinct sheet lists 11 polling places. Use the official sheet for street addresses and GoVoteTN for the location assigned to the voter. Early-voting sites and Election Day precincts are different concepts.
| Precinct | Location named on the county sheet |
|---|---|
| 101 | Wartrace Baptist Church |
| 102 | The Webb School gym, Bell Buckle |
| 203 | Agriculture Center |
| 303 | Community Elementary School gym, Unionville |
| 403 | Bedford / WBTS Community Club |
| 502 | Flat Creek Community Center |
| 505 | Normandy First Baptist Church |
| 601 | East Side School |
| 701 | Deery Eakin School gym |
| 801 | Thomas Magnet School gym |
| 902 | South Side School gym |
Open the official Bedford County precinct-location sheet · Check an address in GoVoteTN
Bedford County voter checklist
- Confirm registration status and current address through GoVoteTN.
- Open the Bedford County state/federal sample ballot and the applicable municipal ballot, if any.
- Confirm whether the address is inside Shelbyville, Normandy or Wartrace municipal boundaries for this election.
- Review all three constitutional amendments before arriving at the voting machine.
- Bring an acceptable Tennessee or federal photo ID, unless a statutory exception applies.
- During early voting, use the county’s designated early-voting site and hours; on Election Day, use the assigned precinct.
- For absentee voting, confirm eligibility, the October 24 request deadline and the separate return requirements with the Election Commission.
- Save official notices and recheck the county election page for emergency changes before traveling.
How November 3 results will be reported
This page is a pre-election guide. Candidate names and sample ballots are not results.
- Election-night totals will be labeled unofficial.
- Municipal, county, districtwide and statewide totals will not be mixed.
- A leading Bedford County total will not be described as the winner of a multi-county or statewide race without the appropriate complete result.
- Certification, recount, provisional-ballot and later correction records will be identified separately.
- The news desk will link back to this guide and the permanent election-results archive when official returns are posted.
Open the permanent Bedford County election-results archive · Open the Bedford conservative-news desk
Frequently asked questions
When is early voting in Bedford County for the November 2026 election?
October 14–29. The county notice lists weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday voting October 17 and 24 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Election Commission office in the courthouse annex.
Where is Bedford County early voting?
At the Bedford County Election Commission, courthouse annex basement, 100 Public Square West in Shelbyville. Confirm any last-minute change before traveling.
What congressional district is Bedford County in for the November 2026 election?
The county election page says Bedford County is now in U.S. House District 9. The ballot lists Brent Taylor, Justin J. Pearson, Dennis Clark and Michelle Davis Head.
Who are the Republican candidates highlighted on the Bedford County ballot?
The reviewed ballot and certified candidate resources identify Marsha Blackburn for governor, Bill Hagerty for U.S. Senate, Brent Taylor for U.S. House District 9 and Pat Marsh for Tennessee House District 62. The guide also lists their opponents and links the complete official sample ballot.
Is Shane Reeves on Bedford County’s November 2026 ballot?
No District 14 state-senate contest is scheduled on this ballot. District 14 is an even-numbered, mid-term seat; Reeves remains the current senator and the next regular election is expected in 2028.
How many constitutional amendments are on the Tennessee ballot?
Three: bail for specified serious offenses, a prohibition on a statewide property tax, and an expanded constitutional crime-victims’ rights provision. Each is a separate yes-or-no question.
Does a Shelbyville mailing address automatically mean I vote in the Shelbyville municipal election?
No. Municipal ballot eligibility depends on the official boundaries and voter record, not merely the postal city. Use GoVoteTN or contact the Election Commission.
Are November 3 election results available yet?
No. This guide was verified before Election Day. Candidate names and sample ballots are not results, and election-night totals will remain labeled unofficial until the proper certification process.
Does Worth Fighting endorse candidates on this page?
No. The page emphasizes Republican and conservative search interest while listing certified opponents, independent candidates by count or name, source limitations and official ballot links.
Source library
The county election page and sample ballots control local dates and ballot assignment. Candidate pages are used to organize certified-candidate information and are linked back to the official ballot.
- Bedford County Election Commission — November ballots, early voting and voter resources
- Bedford County November 3 state and federal sample ballot
- Bedford County early-voting notice
- Bedford County 2026 election calendar
- Bedford County precinct-location sheet
- Tennessee GoVoteTN voter and polling-place lookup
- Tennessee Secretary of State — proposed 2026 constitutional amendments
- Tennessee governor candidate list and certified-ballot reporting
- Tennessee U.S. Senate candidate list
- Tennessee U.S. House District 9 candidate list
- Tennessee House District 62 candidate list
- Bedford County official election-results archive
Update log
October 11, 2026 — Phase 8 source corrections and expanded coverage. Corrected seven county-document URLs, checked all linked county PDFs, and added detailed municipal-ballot and constitutional-amendment reporting. Major-race citations now point to the official general-election sample ballot.
October 11, 2026 — Conservative-politics Phase 7. Published the Bedford County 2026 general-election guide with early-voting dates, ballot links, major races, the District 9 change, amendments, municipal-ballot guidance, precinct references and result-reporting safeguards.
Next triggers: a county notice changing early-voting hours or polling places; a corrected sample ballot; an official candidate-status change; election-night returns; or certification.