Elections - Historical Notes

Districts - Reapportionment

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

1. Private Acts of 1955, Chapter 184, redistricted part of Trousdale County, defining the Seventh Civil District as all the territory of the present Seventh Civil District lying east of the center line of Little Goose Creek. The new 8th Civil District consisted of all the territory of the present 8th Civil District plus that part of the old 7th District lying west of Little Goose Creek, all being subject to the approval of the electorate in a referendum. This Act was also rejected by the people of Trousdale County rendering it null and void.

Elections

The following is a listing of acts for Trousdale County which affected the elective process, but which have been superseded or repealed.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. Public Acts of 1871, Chapter 154, apportioned Tennessee for Representation in the General Assembly. Wilson, Trousdale, and DeKalb Counties would jointly elect one Representative, and the 9th State Senatorial District had in it the counties of Macon, Smith, Clay, Trousdale, Sumner, and Jackson.
2. Acts of 1872 (Ex. Sess.), Chapter 7, provided for the representation of Tennessee in the U.S. Congress, forming nine U. S. Congressional Districts. The 5th District was composed of the counties of Robertson, Cheatham, Davidson, Sumner, Wilson, Trousdale, and DeKalb.
3. Public Acts of 1873, Chapter 27, reapportioned the State into ten U. S. Congressional Districts of which the Fourth District had in it the counties of Fentress, Overton, Putnam, Jackson, Clay, Macon, Smith, Trousdale, Wilson, Sumner, and Robertson.
4. Public Acts of 1881 (Ex. Sess.), Chapter 5, fixed the number of Senators at 33 and the number of Representatives at 99 in the General Assembly, which would be the composition of that body on a permanent basis.
5. Public Acts of 1881 (Ex. Sess.), Chapter 6, redistricted the representation of the General Assembly in accordance with Public Acts of 1881 (Ex. Sess.), Chapter 5, and the 1881 enumeration. Trousdale, Sumner, and Smith Counties would jointly elect one Representative and Trousdale County joined Sumner and Robertson Counties as the 12th State Senatorial District.
6. Public Acts of 1882 (2nd Ex. Sess.), Chapter 27, apportioned the Counties of Tennessee into ten U. S. Congressional Districts. The Fourth District comprised the Counties of Sumner, Wilson, Macon, Trousdale, Smith, DeKalb, Clay, Jackson, Putnam, Overton, Fentress and Pickett.
7. Acts of 1891 (Ex. Sess.), Chapter 10, apportioned the General Assembly according to the latest enumeration. Trousdale, Sumner and Wilson Counties would share one of the 99 Representatives as the Ninth District, and Trousdale, Macon, and Sumner Counties constituted the 14th State Senatorial District.
8. Public Acts of 1901, Chapter 109, formed the counties of Tennessee into ten U. S. Congressional Districts. The Fourth District was made up of the counties of Sumner, Wilson, Putnam, Trousdale, Jackson, Clay, Overton, Smith, Macon, Pickett, Fentress, Morgan, Cumberland, and Rhea.
9. Public Acts of 1901, Chapter 122, reapportioned the State for the General Assembly. The 14th State Senatorial District contained the counties of Sumner, Trousdale, and Macon while the same counties would also share one Representative as the 14th State Representative District.
10. Private Acts of 1937, Chapter 272, made the general election laws of the State apply to all the primary elections in Trousdale County. The officer of elections shall be selected by the political party holding the election and the officers would conduct the election as was provided by the general law. The Executive Committee of the political party would prepare the ballots whose candidates must meet the qualifications established in this Act. The regular Registrar would serve in all primary elections of his party, and would appoint an additional Registrar to serve with him. The cost of the primary election would be assumed by the party conducting it. This Act was repealed by Private Acts of 1943, Chapter 299.
11. Private Acts of 1937, Chapter 743, amended Private Acts of 1937, Chapter 272, by changing the date of the first primary election to be held under the auspices of that Act from April, 1938, to September 1937, on the first Saturday in the month, and biennially thereafter.
12. Private Acts of 1945, Chapter 13, stated that the Quarterly Court of Trousdale County was hereby authorized to pay the Registrars of the County for attending to the duties of that office in an amount not to exceed $50 per month.
13. Private Acts of 1949, Chapter 552, established two voting precincts in the Seventh Civil District of Trousdale County. All voters residing north of Goose Creek shall vote at the school house and constitute one voting precinct. All voters residing south of Goose Creek shall vote at the Courthouse and be the other precinct. The Sixth Civil District would constitute one voting precinct which would vote at the Walnut Grove School-house.
14. Private Acts of 1951, Chapter 60, amended Private Acts of 1949, Chapter 552, by setting up two precincts for voting in the 6th Civil District, one at the Walnut Grove schoolhouse and the other at the Barthelia schoolhouse. The voters in the 6th Civil District were permitted to vote in either of the precincts.
15. Private Acts of 1955, Chapter 185, declared that the new Seventh Civil District shall constitute one voting precinct and all the voters residing therein shall vote at the Trousdale County High School. The voters in the new 8th Civil District would vote at the Courthouse which was also classed as a precinct. All of the above was subject to affirmation by the people in a referendum but this Act was rejected by the people of the County and thus rendered ineffective.