Nashville voters cast ballots in wrong race after confusion over redrawn districts

Democratic lawmakers are demanding answers after more than 200 early voters were given the wrong ballot in Davidson County. Those voters in some parts of Nashville voted in the wrong congressional race. 

The error affected ballots in several state House and Senate races as well.

Elections Administrator Jeff Roberts says they’ve since fixed the error and the mistake won’t happen again. But that wasn’t enough for Democratic candidates who held a press conference on Wednesday.

Some even called for Roberts’ resignation over the mishap.   

“You know who has voted. Contact every voter that has cast a ballot incorrectly and let them correct it,” said senate candidate Charlane Oliver. “This is on you all.”

Although the issue was resolved, voters who cast the wrong ballots will not be able to go back and correct them. 

Democrats blamed Republican redistricting for causing the confusion. Republican lawmakers divided Nashville into three new congressional districts in January.  

Rep. Vincent Dixie, D-Nashville, says the mistake shows exactly how effective their gerrymandering was. 

Emily Siner WPLN News

The Congressional map divides Davidson County into three districts, stretching into East Tennessee.

“When you literally cut up a neighborhood. And you can literally stand in one corner and be in three different districts depending on where your feet are,” said Dixie, “that can happen anywhere across the state, and this is because of the Republican maps that they drew.”

Jeff Roberts, the Davidson County election director, told the Associated Press the problem stemmed from a voting precinct that was divided under the new maps.

The county office was made aware of the issue Tuesday, nearly two weeks into early voting.