LIVE UPDATES: Here's where to follow results, Tennessee and Knox County primary news today

It's Super Tuesday in Tennessee and around the country, and voters will cast their presidential primary ballots as well as select many down-ballot candidates who will advance to the fall elections.

Tennessee GOP voters will choose whether they want Donald Trump or Nikki Haley to challenge President Joe Biden in November. Trump is the heavy favorite in polling.

Locally, voters on both sides of the political spectrum will decide dozens of primary races for Knox County Commission, Board of Education, law director, property assessor and judge.

Stay with us for updated election and voter information throughout the day! Just want the basics? GET KNOX COUNTY ELECTION RESULTS HERE.

The winners are in and the races are set

All the candidates now know where they stand. The vote totals have hit 100%.

Two races were particularly close: One was won by 5 votes and one by 12. Your vote does matter, especially in primary elections!

Check all the numbers here. And look for analysis all week at knoxnews.com

New school board member will be sworn in - fast!

Travis Wright will join the Knox County Board of Education a lot faster than the other 2024 candidates.

Since he won the District 8 Republican primary race, Knox County Commission members plan to name him to the school board this week to fill the seat left vacant after Mike McMillan's death.

Wright will be sworn in at 11:30 a.m. March 6 in the Small Assembly Room of the City-County Building. That means he will be in place on the school board for its March 7 meeting.

Two incumbents win easily

Terry Hill, the Knox County Commission chair, fought off a GOP primary challenger and will move on to the general election in August. Development is a hot button issue in District 6 on the county's northwest side, and Julie McBee-Fritts hoped to maintain more of its rural character.

Incumbent Knox County Law Director David Buuck will have a slot on the August ballot as well. Former Knox County Republican Chair Daniel Herrera, a private-practice attorney, unsuccessfully tried to oust him.

"I'm feeling great," Buuck told Knox News. "(I ran against) somebody with no experience, who was making things up about me, and throwing things in about immigration … it was tough trying to fight that off."

Where the candidates are partying tonight

There are two main parties tonight where the candidates are mingling with supporters, nervously eyeing the vote totals and making impromptu speeches when they win or lose.

The GOP election night party, as you can imagine, is far larger in Knox County. Those folks are gathered at their traditional spot - the Crown Plaza Hotel in downtown Knoxville.

The winners in some of the Republican races will have an even bigger reason to celebrate tonight since their campaigns are over. The lucky few are unopposed in the general election.

The Democrats are gathering tonight at Alliance Brewery in South Knoxville. The contested race to watch there is for Knox County Commission District 1, which pits political newcomer Damon Rawls against former commissioner Evelyn Gill.

Absentee and early voting totals are in for Knox County

We have a long way to go, but early totals are starting to offer a few clues on how the races are shaping up!

Check the latest results here.

Trump and Biden easily win Tennessee

Former President Donald Trump defeated former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in the Tennessee Republican presidential primary, continuing his march toward securing the GOP nomination. 

Meanwhile, incumbent President Joe Biden won the Democratic primary in the Volunteer State with no opponent on the ballot.

The Associated Press called the race shortly after polls closed at 8 p.m. Trump defeated Haley, despite Koch-funded Americans For Prosperity Action and partner groups pouring more than $2.4 million into Tennessee in recent months, and hiring hundreds of part-time door-to-door canvassers, backing Haley and attacking Trump and Biden.

Results could come in later than expected tonight

Knox County Elections Administrator Chris Davis said midday turnout mirrored early voting: a steady stream of people, but fewer than he had hoped.

There could be a rush after after traditional work hours, though.

In that case, results wouldn't be released right as polls close at 8 p.m. Anyone can vote if they are in line by 8 p.m., any any delays would slow down the counting process.

And low turnout means races will be tight, which brings additional scrutiny, especially if any provisional ballots are cast where voters are given a grace period to prove their residency.

"Some of these races may come down to a handful of votes," Davis said. "Say we have a race that comes down to 20 votes. We would look and see how many provisional (ballots) are in that district. Is the number of provisional (ballots) enough to potentially swing the election another way? If it's not, then the election's over."

If a race does have enough provisional ballots to swing the results, a board will look at provisional ballots on March 8 and determine results then.

When is the Tennessee primary?

Today! Polls are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. You must have already registered and you must vote at your specific polling place. Find yours at sos.tn.gov/govotetn.

How do I learn about the candidates?

The Knox News Voter's Guide is here to help you knox who's on the ballot in Knox County, and hear from the candidates in their own words about the big issues facing our community.

We sat down with dozens of candidates to get to know why they're running, what they hope to achieve and how they feel about development, infrastructure, education, public safety and more. You can read their responses to our questions and get more from the candidates who responded to written questionnaires as well.

We can help you differentiate between the presidential candidates, too! If you're still undecided, take a look at our national Voter's Guide to see who's on the ballot in Tennessee and the candidates' stances on major national issues.

When will I see Tennessee election results?

In Knox County, the polls close at 8 p.m. and it typically takes at least 30 minutes or more before any results are posted. Check the numbers here.

Early voting and absentee ballot totals often show up first, then precinct totals as they are counted. We'll update them as soon as they go live!

Tennessee's presidential primary winner could be called fairly quickly. In some states, the winner was obvious minutes after the polls closed.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: LIVE UPDATES: What's on the ballot in Knox County, TN primary election 2024