Early voting in Sevier County blew past the last presidential election's number of early casters and exceeded 16,000 votes this year. The turnout is about 28 percent higher than the early votes cast in the 2004 election.

Typically, early voting represents about 20-25 percent of the actual registered voters in the county, but this year it has increased to nearly 32 percent, according to numbers provided by the Sevier County Election Commission. There are approximately 50,000 active and inactive registered voters in Sevier County, the commission reported.

Early voters in 2004 totaled 11,661 with 2,597 people taking advantage of the last two days of early voting. This year, early voters numbered 16,147.

Since Tennessee doesn't track which party voters register under, and because the results of early voters aren't released, it is not possible to determine if an increase in Democrats or Republicans has caused the rise in early voters at the polls. But Democrats say their party is happy to claim responsibility for the jump in Sevierville.

I think it's change and people wanting something different. Sevier County Democrats Chairman Scott Whaley

Party officials and volunteers attribute the high early voter turnout to excitement over Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, thus an increase in Democrat votes in the Republican county.

"I think it's change and people wanting something different," Sevier County Democrats Chairman Scott Whaley said of the rise in early voters. "I think it's an increase in younger people, too; young voters, first time voters, newly registered voters."

Whaley said it is not likely that longtime local residents are switching party affiliations, but it is more probable that Sevier County's newest residents are responsible for the uptick.

"There's been a lot of people registering," Whaley said. "I'm seeing a lot of new faces; people I've never seen before. There's a new wave of energized (voters) because of this election."

The party has sold out tickets to it's Election Night Victory Party on November 4 at Walters State Community College in Sevierville, but Whaley said supporters will be gathering at Damon's Grill in Sevierville at 9:30 p.m. to follow the presidential election results.

For more information about the Sevier County Democrats view SevierDomocrats.com, visit the Sevier County Democratic Headquarters at 152 Bruce Street in downtown Sevierville, or call 865-617-8259.