Knoxville City Council must change how people vote in elections: 3 options to consider

The Knoxville City Council is up against a tight deadline to navigate what a legally mandated change to its elections means for voters.

Council members will meet at 4:30 p.m. July 18 in the main assembly room of the City County Building to discuss their options after a Tennessee law passed in 2023 says the unusual way Knoxville has conducted elections for decades is illegal.

Right now, primary voters in a specific district select their top two city council candidates, who then move on to the general election. From there, all Knoxville voters get a say on who wins the job for each district.

The new law mandates only voters in each district can elect their city council representatives.

It was sponsored by state Rep. Elaine Davis, a Knox County Republican. Some council members say her motives were disingenuous since Davis does not live in or represent Knoxville. Council members opposed the change in the form of a resolution and considered a legal challenge in 2023. They ultimately decided against it.

A change in Knoxville's election system requires a referendum, which is only allowed in even numbered years. That means Knoxville voters most likely will see the question on their November ballot.

What could voters see on their ballot?

On July 18, the Knoxville City Council will discuss three options:

• Six regional at-large seats: Candidates would be required to live in a district to represent it, but all voters would elect all candidates. If a candidate receives more than half the vote, there won't be a regular election. Otherwise, the top two vote-getters in the primary would move on to the regular election. Instead of district numbers, seats would be divided by geographical area: North, Northeast, Northwest, East, South and West. Three citywide at-large seats would still exist and they would be elected the same way as the other seats. The only residency requirement for an at-large seat would be that the candidate lives within city limits.
• Six seats elected only by district members : Only voters in a specific district would be able to vote on candidates to represent them. The top two vote-getters, regardless of whether one gets more than half the vote, would move on to the regular election. That part would be the same as the current system. The change would be that in the regular election, only voters within each district would be able to vote on their representation. Three city-wide at-large seats would still exist, but they'd be elected the same way as Knoxville's mayor and municipal judge: if a candidate gets over half the vote in the primary, there is no regular election.
• Aligning the election of the Fifth District with other district elections: Elections for the Fifth District seat on the council currently coincide with elections for mayor, municipal judge and the at-large seats. Several council members want to change the schedule so the Fifth District election coincides with the other numbered districts. To align the Fifth District election, the first term for that seat would be two years after that, elections would align.

What happens if voters oppose changing the system?

Before the state law, changing Knoxville's elections was up to local voters. That's how a majority of Knoxvillians in the 1960s decided to move forward with the unconventional system.

Now, voters might be backed into a corner. The old system is out, no matter what.

If voters decide against a new method, the state law still will be in effect for Knoxville's next city council election in 2025. That means only voters in a district could elect that district's council member, and at-large seats would not be impacted. It's the same scenario as the one laid out in the second option council members will discuss July 18.

Allie Feinberg reports on politics for Knox News. Email her: allie.feinberg@knoxnews.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @alliefeinberg.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knoxville City Council must change how people vote in elections: 3 options to consider