Early voting has begun in Nashville-Davidson County, and groups seeking an alternative to the $9 billion light rail transit plan are urging voters to head to the polls early.
Election Day — and the transit referendum —are May 1, but early voting began April 10 and will run through April 26.
Poll locations for early voting are posted on the NoTax4Tracks website.
“We need as many people as possible to vote against this costly and fiscally irresponsible transit plan,” the group says in a newsletter. “Otherwise, Davidson County will have the highest sales tax of any major city and households will pay an extra $43,000 for a transit plan that does NOT solve the traffic congestion problem and does NOT serve the whole county.
“The other side is making false claims so it is essential we fight back to provide residents with all the facts. Reaching out and communicating with potential voters is the most important thing we can do during this critical time.”
NoTax4Tracks also reports that the neighborhoods with the worst traffic will see little relief from light rail.
Better Transit For Nashville posted what it calls the Top 100 reasons to vote against the light rail plan. No. 1 is, “The massive cost; $9 billion for a plan that will not reduce traffic and 97% of commuters will NEVER use. Nashville will have the highest sales tax in the nation, 10.25%; every Nashvillian will pay $16,000 in the next 14 years for NTIP (Nashville Transportation Improvement Plan).”
[…] Early voting for the May 1 transit plan referendum began Tuesday, April 10, and will continue until Thursday, April 26. […]
Today begins a test of wills; the desire of the Chamber of Commerce and crony capitalists versus the needs of the people. Who will win? Nashville’s long term success will be determined by this critical vote.
VOTE NO on the proposed Transit Plan! New choices are being revealed daily, and a NO vote will prevent an albatross being hung around Nashville’s neck!