Early voting in Tennessee began Wednesday, October 14, and thousands of voters across the state headed to the polls to make sure their voices were heard. With voter turnout already showing an increase over previous elections, and with concerns over mail-in voting, voters can expect to see long lines. One Nashville lawmaker has figured out the best times to avoid the crowd.
On the first day of early voting, nearly 13,000 people went to the polls in Davidson County. Dave Rosenberg, Nashville councilman for District 35, told News Channel 5 that the high turnout wasn't a surprise.
"First thing in the morning on the first day, of course there are a lot of enthusiastic people who are ready to get their vote cast," he said.
Using early voting data from the August primary election in Nashville, Rosenberg determined what days and times are the busiest at polling locations. He found that the last two days of early voting were the busiest.
"It really struck me just how busy those last two days are, it was pretty exceptional," he said. "The last votes were cast over two hours after the polls closed."
"Typically the best time to early vote would be first thing in the morning or right before the polls close on one of the days right in the middle of early voting, especially that middle Saturday," said Rosenberg. He also said that weather plays a factor on voter turnout, with fewer people voting when it rains.
Early voting in Tennessee runs from Wednesday, October 14, to Thursday, October 29. To find early voting locations and hours of operation, visit GoVoteTN.
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