As polls close in Nashville, the waiting begins

As of 7 p.m., polls are closed in Davidson County — anyone in line will be allowed to cast ballots — and the wait is on for results in the races for mayor, vice mayor, Metro Council seats and special elections for the Tennessee House.

Preliminary results, based only on early voting, are expected within the hour.

Intense showers and thunderstorms earlier in the day disrupted voting for some.

At the top of the ballot, the race for Nashville’s next mayor will likely go to a runoff. The top two vote-getters would square off next month.

Nationwide, eyes are also on the statehouse special contests for two of the so-called “Tennessee Three.” Representatives Justin Jones, D-Nashville, and Justin J. Pearson, D-Memphis, were expelled for leading a gun reform protest on the house floor, and temporarily reinstated by their home cities. Both representatives are now facing challengers while seeking official reelection.