She said, 'Wamp, can we get voters at the mall?'

Published July 25, 2012 by J.R. Lind

For four days this month, the 25-year-old son of former U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp stood outside Northgate's early voting location, asking passers-by to choose him over his father's successor -- U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann -- in the Republican primary.

That didn't fly with mall management after 10 complaints from voters, officials said. Interested in pleasing the owners of a popular early voting destination, Hamilton County Election Commission deputies sided with Northgate and asked Wamp to leave.

"It's private property, and it's been that way forever," said Charlotte Mullis-Morgan, administrator of elections for Hamilton County.

Wamp left but later said Northgate should expect "to forego some type of property rights so the public can come and vote."

"Consistent with that would mean candidates should be able to greet voters at the polls, which I think is mutually beneficial to the process," Wamp said in an interview.