A hand-painted sign leads the way to the Maury County Election Commission headquarters. Photo credit Blake Farmer/WPLN

Voters continue to stream to the polls in Tennessee, often waiting in line to cast a ballot early. In Maury County, the presidential race is driving turnout.

The candidate signs outside the election commission are almost all for local races, but voters like Gloria Ruffin say it’s the top of the ticket they came for.

Ruffin has been unemployed more than two years. She says Mitt Romney and other Republicans seem to think she doesn’t want to work.

“They demonize the unemployed. They demonize people that receive food stamps. They demonize women. I don’t even want to go into the women’s issues because that really upsets me.”

Ruffin voted for President Obama, like she did four years ago.

Maranda Bastian stuck with her party of choice in 2008 as well, only she wants to see Romney win. Proposed Defense Department cuts haven’t sat well with this Air Force wife.

“I mean, we have a huge deficit, so you have to make cuts somewhere. But military families give so much to this country, and it’s the wrong place to maybe cut.”

In 2008, Republican John McCain carried Maury and all but six counties in Tennessee.

DesJarlais Gets Grace from Some Columbia Voters

Rep. Scott DesJarlais won in an upset two years ago. And Republican voters in Columbia say they’re sticking with their man, despite new revelations about him encouraging a mistress to get an abortion.

Of the voters WPLN talked to in Maury County, those who voted for Mitt Romney as president said they’re also giving DesJarlais another shot.

Retiree Sherry Cox says she’s disappointed in the freshman congressman because she’s against abortion.

“But I still voted for him, and I don’t mind anybody knowing it. What he did 12, 13 or 14 years ago doesn’t have any bearing on what he’s doing in office right now. And I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt. But he’s going to have to prove himself again.”

Democrat Eric Stewart – a state senator – is challenging DesJarlais and claims internal polling shows a tightening race. However, until recent weeks, Stewart has trailed far behind the incumbent in fundraising totals.