by Kim Jarrett
The latest numbers from the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office show that 820,587 Tennesseans have voted early in the first five days of voting.
The numbers are still less than 2020 numbers, when 910,802 cast their ballots in the first five days a 9.91% decrease. More voters used absentee ballots in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year, 51,665 voters submitted an absentee ballot compared to 144,558 in 2020. The number of in-person voting is higher than four years ago, with 768,910 visiting a local polling place in 2024 and 766,244 doing so in 2020.
The early numbers are still higher than 2016 figures when just 609,021 voted early in the first five days.
Dekalb County, located in the central part of the state, has the highest increase in early voter turnout when compared to 2020 at 31.5%. Shelby County is reporting a decrease in early voting from the same time period of 37.32%.
Statewide, Tennesseans are deciding if they will back U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn for a second term. She is being challenged by state Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville. Pamela Moses, who is running as an independent, received 5% of the vote.
A recent poll of likely voters by The Beacon Center shows Blackburn with a 23-point lead over Johnson. Blackburn received an approval rating of 53%. Thirty-five percent of respondents disapproved of the job Blackburn is doing.
Former president Donald Trump has a 21-point lead over Vice President Kamala Harris.
Early voting ends Oct. 31.
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Kim Jarrett’s career spans over 30 years with stops in radio, print and television. She has won awards from both the Georgia Press Association and the Georgia Association of Broadcasters. Jarrett is an associate editor for The Center Square.
Photo “Voting” by liz west. CC BY 2.0.
