Tennessee voters are not waiting. Through the first five days of early voting, 397,417 Tennesseans have voted early or absentee in the Nov. 3 election, according to the Secretary of State’s daily early-voting comparison report as compiled by tnfirefly.com. That is 69% more than the 234,800 who had voted at the same point in the 2022 governor’s race.
Monday was a big day. After the Sunday break, 91,572 Tennesseans voted on Oct. 19, compared with 56,618 on the same voting day in 2022. Ninety-one of the state’s 95 counties are running ahead of their 2022 pace.
The surge reaches every corner of the state. Shelby County leads in raw votes with 53,381, up 81.3% from 2022. Davidson County has 47,198 early votes, compared with just 5,936 at this point four years ago. Knox County has 30,307, Hamilton 22,407, Williamson 21,561 and Rutherford 20,332. Measured by share of registered voters, Williamson County leads the state at 11.15%, followed by Loudon at 10.59% and Cheatham at 10.54%.
The stakes are high. Tennesseans are choosing a new governor to follow term-limited Gov. Bill Lee. Republican nominee Sen. Marsha Blackburn faces Democrat Jerri Green and independents David Hatley and Lauren Pinkston.
There is still plenty of time. Early voting runs through Thursday, Oct. 29, and Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Voters need a state or federal photo ID. Find your early voting sites and hours at GoVoteTN.com or on the GoVoteTN app.
