Early voting in Tennessee is officially underway prior to election day on November 6!
A lot of Davidson County residents are noticing that there are 6 different charter amendments on the poll that need to be voted on, as well as the highly debated senate and governor race!
I didn't really know what to expect from these 6 different charter amendments, so I did a little research and decided to help break it down in the most simple form!
First of all -- the "Metro Charter" is the governing document of Nashville.
Amendment 1: Oversight board for police
This amendment would create a new 11-member citizen-led panel with investigative and compulsory powers to review arrests and other police actions.
The push for the community oversight board follows claims of racial bias against the police force, touched off most recently by a pair of fatal shootings by white police officer of African-American men the last two years.
Amendment 2: Mayoral succession
This amendment would have the council elect a temporary mayor in the event the mayor leaves before his or her term expires AND the vice mayor is unavailable to serve.
The temporary mayor elected by the council, if one is needed, would serve only until a special election.
A special election to replace the mayor permanently would still be required within 75 to 80 days of the mayor's departure.
Another interesting fact about this one, the temporary mayor would NOT be allowed to run for the position in the next mayoral race either..
**this one HAD to of come from the whole Mayor Megan Barry scandal**
Amendment 3: Special elections
Amendment 3 would require special elections for council seats that are vacated with more than eight months left in a term.
Amendment 4: Oath of office
This charter amendment would require oaths of office for mayor, vice mayor and council members to uphold the Metro Charter.
Mayor, Vice Mayor and Council Members currently only give an oath to support the Tennessee and U.S. constitutions.
Amendment 5: Extended term limits
Amendment 5 would extend term limits of council members from two four-year terms to three four-year terms, meaning they would be able to serve 12 consecutive years for the same seat.
**I think it's also important to note that the amendment would not change the two-term limits for mayor and vice mayor **
Amendment 6: Gender in Metro Charter
This charter amendment would adopt female gender pronouns in the charter, where they are currently absent. References to "councilman" would be changed to "councilmember" and "policemen" would be changed to "police officer," among other changes.
NOW THAT YOU HAVE ALL THAT FIGURED OUT, GET OUT THERE AND VOTE FAM! <3