Elections - Historical Notes

Districts - Reapportionment

The act listed below once affected the civil districts in Macon County, but is no longer operative regarding elections.

1. Acts of 1841-42, Chapter 45, Section 14, the Act creating Macon County, appointed, in Section 14, Bennett Wright, Alexander Ferguson, Edward Glover, and Jefferson Bratton, as Commissioners to lay off Macon County in to seven Civil Districts in order to elect Justices of the Peace and Constables.

Elections

The following is a listing of acts for Macon County which affected the elective process, but which have been superseded or repealed.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 1842, Chapter 1, provided that in this apportionment of the state for the General Assembly into 25 Senatorial districts, the people of newly formed Macon and Putnam Counties would vote with the people of the counties from which they were taken until the next enumeration of the citizens.
2. Acts of 1842, Chapter 7, also provided for the people of Macon and Putnam counties to vote for their Congressional Representatives with the people of the counties from which they were taken to form new counties.
3. Acts of 1851-52, Chapter 196, divided Tennessee into ten U. S. Congressional Districts. The Fourth District would contain the Counties of Jackson, Macon, Smith, Dekalb, White, Warren, Coffee, Grundy, and Van Buren.
4. Acts of 1851-52, Chapter 197, reapportioned the State for representation in the General Assembly, assigning the counties of White, Jackson, and Macon to one Senatorial District, and Smith, Sumner, and Macon Counties would elect one State Representative jointly with the polls to be compared at Hartsville.
5. Acts of 1865, Chapter 34, divided Tennessee into eight United States Congressional Districts. The Third District consisted of the counties of Rhea, Hamilton, Marion, Grundy, Bledsoe, Van Buren, Sequatchie, Warren, White, Smith, Cumberland, Putnam, Jackson, Macon, Overton, DeKalb, Fentress, and Meigs.
6. Acts of 1871, Chapter 146, reapportioned the State into Senatorial and Representative Districts. Jackson, Macon, and Clay Counties would elect one Representative between them.
7. Acts of 1872, Chapter 7, separated Tennessee into nine U. S. Congressional Districts. The Second District had in it the counties of Sevier, Knox, Jefferson, Anderson, Campbell, Scott, Morgan, Fentress, Cumberland, White, Putnam, Overton, Jackson, Smith, Macon, and Clay.
8. Acts of 1873, Chapter 27, reorganized the State into ten U. S. Congressional Districts. The reorganized Fourth District was composed of the counties of Fentress, Overton, Putnam, Jackson, Clay, Macon, Smith, Trousdale, Wilson, Sumner, and Robertson.
9. Acts of 1881 (Ex. Sess.), Chapter 6, was the next apportionment of the Tennessee General Assembly based on the 1880 census taking. The 11th State Senatorial District comprised the counties of Jackson, Macon, Clay, Overton, Pickett, and Fentress. Macon and Clay counties would elect one State Representative jointly.
10. Acts of 1882 (2nd Ex. Sess.), Chapter 27, organized Tennessee into ten U. S. Congressional Districts. The Fourth contained the Counties of Sumner, Macon, Wilson, Trousdale, Smith, Dekalb, Clay, Jackson, Putnam, Overton, Fentress, and Pickett.
11. Acts of 1891 (Ex. Sess.), Chapter 10, was based upon the 1890 Federal Census, which resulted in Macon County being given one Representative alone, and joining Sumner and Trousdale counties in making up the 14th State Senatorial District.
12. Acts of 1901, Chapter 122, reapportioned the State for the last time until the federal courts ordered it. Macon County was in the 14th Senatorial District with Sumner and Trousdale.
13. Acts of 1901, Chapter 109, divided Tennessee into ten U. S. Congressional Districts. On this apportionment the Fourth U.S. Congressional District was made up of the counties of Sumner, Trousdale, Wilson, Putnam, Jackson, Clay, Overton, Smith, Macon, Pickett, Fentress, Morgan, Cumberland, and Rhea.
14. Private Acts of 1937, Chapter 191, abolished outright the voting precincts in Macon County of Long Creek in the First and Second Civil Districts, Gibbs Cross Roads in the Seventh Civil District, Brown's School House precinct in the Tenth Civil District, and the Eulia precinct in the Eleventh Civil District, and created Keystone in the First Civil District, Shiloh in the Second Civil District, Willette in the Seventh Civil District, Long Creek at the nearest practicable point to the bridge on the highway leading form Lafayette to Red Boiling Springs in the Tenth Civil District, and Siloam and Mt. Pisgah in the Eleventh Civil District. This Act was repealed by the one following.
15. Private Acts of 1941, Chapter 225, specifically repealed Chapter 191, Private Acts of 1937, above, in its entirety, presumably reversing the actions contained in that Act.