Nashville's local news and NPR station

Tennessee voter turnout just shy of 2020 election

Katherine CeicysWPLN News
Share:

Tennessee voters turned out at almost the same numbers they did in 2020, when the state set a record. The Secretary of State’s office says 3,060,293 Tennesseans cast a ballot, which is 99.5% of the 2020 turnout.

That means polling places were packed on election day. For 18-year-old Arian Mireles, who voted for the first time, the experience was a bit intimidating, but also exciting.

“Honestly the first feeling is when you walk inside it’s just like, ‘Oh my god, there are so many people around there you don’t know where to begin with,’ ” he said. “But honestly after I voted I’m like, ‘You know what? I am really hoping I can make a change in America.’ ”

Compared with four years ago, early voter turnout was down 2.89%. But voters who showed up on election day nearly made up for that gap. Turnout on election day almost matched the last pre-pandemic election in 2016. 

In Davidson County, turnout fell shy of 300,000 and was about 13% lower than 2020.

Char Daston

Char Daston is a reporter and newscast writer for WPLN. Char got his start in public radio at WYSO public radio in Yellow Springs, Ohio, where he answered questions sent in by listeners for a program called WYSO Curious. He went on to work at St. Louis Public Radio and WBEZ Chicago, where he produced the daily talk show Reset and reported for the education desk. His work has appeared nationally on shows like Morning Edition and The World. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Char attended college and grad school at the University of Chicago, where he wrote his master’s thesis on the politics of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Unable to settle on one creative project, Char enjoys writing poetry, plays and video essays in his spare time. You’ll likely find him rushing to choir rehearsal or seeking out Nashville’s best Thai and Korean food.

on-air light On Air - 90.3 WPLN-FM