Tennessee early voting turnout massive as midterm interest approaches presidential level

Joey Garrison | The Tennessean

Show Caption Hide Caption Why aren't Tennesseans voting more? Civility Tennessee has some answers Ranked second to last in the nation for voter turnout and nearly as bad in voter registration, Tennessee is faced with a problem: Getting residents to the polls.

Turnout was massive Wednesday across Tennessee for the first day of early voting with open races for U.S. Senate and governor both on the line.

Voting numbers shattered the state's past two midterm numbers and were not far behind Tennessee's pace set during the 2016 presidential election.

In all, 120,893 people voted Wednesday in Tennessee in the midterm general election. The tally also includes absentee-by-mail votes collected that day and votes made at nursing homes.

The total is only around 22,000 less than the 143,141 people who voted early during the 2016 presidential election, which typically far outpaces midterms.

More: Nashville turnout near presidential level on first day of early voting in midterms

The state's first-day total was nearly four times the 32,565 people who voted on the first day of early voting for the 2014 midterm election.

In 2010, 43,580 people voted on the first day of early voting for the November midterms.

"Turnout has been extremely high for a midterm election," Tennessee Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins said. "Early voters voted en mass yesterday. East, Middle and West Tennessee have experienced high voter interest and turnout.

"The interest in this year’s election is similar to the interest we see in a presidential election."

Early voting could account for 60 percent of all voting this year

Early voting runs through Nov. 1 ahead of the Nov. 6 election.

Goins estimated early voting could account for 55 percent to 60 percent of all voting, which would be slightly more than the historic ratio.

In Tennessee's U.S. Senate race, Republican Marsha Blackburn, a congressman from Williamson County, is taking on Democrat Phil Bredesen, a former two-term governor. The winner will replace retiring Republican Sen. Bob Corker.

In the race to replace term-limited Gov. Bill Haslam, the election is between Democrat Karl Dean, former Nashville mayor, and Republican businessman Bill Lee.

Tennessee is historically among the lowest in voter turnout in the nation. A Pew Charitable Trust analysis of the 2014 midterm elections found Tennessee ranked 50th.

But this year the ballot includes two open seats in which Tennessee Democrats are fielding viable contenders for the first time in multiple election cycles.

Turnout up big in Nashville, Knoxville

Nashville had the highest turnout with 10,249 people voting Wednesday in Davidson County. When adding in absentee ballots and votes cast at nursing homes, the tally was 14,616.

That's compared to 12,300 people who voted on the first day of early voting in Nashville during the 2016 presidential election.

"It was a very good turnout, a little short of the 2016 presidential," Davidson County elections administrator Jeff Roberts said.

Knox County broke what is believed to be that county's all-time record for first-day early voting with 9,265 people voting. When including absentee votes, the tally was 11,061 votes.

Shelby County, which was the last county to report figures Thursday to the state, had 10,480 voters and 11,421 when including absentee ballots.

The county, the state's largest in population and home to Memphis, experienced some hiccups on the first day of voting, including four sites losing connectivity with electronic polling books. But Shelby County election officials said the issues were resolved by the afternoon.

First day of early voting in Knox County: 9265 votes cast. It is the best first day of early voting in at least 10 years, including 3 presidential elections (2008, 2012, 2016) and is believed to be a first-day Early Voting record for any election in Knox County history. — Knoxvotes (@knoxvotes) October 18, 2018

It was a similar story in Wilson County, where 2,862 people went to the polls to vote, compared to 3,459 on the first day of early voting in 2016 and 811 on the first day of early voting in 2014.

Nashville, along with Memphis, are the state's two biggest Democratic hotbeds. Both Bredesen and Dean are from Nashville, perhaps another explanation for the spike there.

Only 557 people voted on the first day of early voting in Nashville during the the 2014 midterm election. But that's a poor comparison because early voting was limited to only one location on the first day that year.

This year early voting opened Wednesday at 11 locations in Nashville.

Locally, Nashvillians are voting on a referendum to amend the Metro Charter by creating a new community oversight panel that would review actions of police.

TENNESSEE SENATE RACE: Blackburn, Bredesen rally bases on first day of early voting in Tennessee

SENATE RACE POLL: Vanderbilt Oct. 18 poll finds Bredesen with narrow edge over Blackburn

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