Statewide turnout in Tennessee's August primary falls below 14% for first time in decades

Statewide voter participation in Thursday’s primary elections was the lowest in decades, with fewer than 14% of Tennessee's registered voters voting early, absentee or on election day.

While voter registration has increased steadily in recent years, fewer registered voters are actually participating in elections. Just over 637,500 voters cast ballots in the Aug. 1 elections, according to unofficial vote totals submitted to the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office. The number is expected to change slightly as results are certified, spokesman Doug Kufner said.

As of last month, there were nearly 4.6 million registered voters in Tennessee, according to the Secretary of State’s office — a significant increase from 3.9 million in 2016. About 13.9% of registered voters participated in state primaries last week.

Over the last decade, participation in August primaries has trended higher in gubernatorial primary years, with the exception of 2020, when more voters cast absentee ballots due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Statewide voter turnout in August state primaries has dipped below 15% just three times in the past 30 years, all in presidential election years.

Still, only a fraction of registered voters routinely participate.

Tennessee was ranked 51st in the U.S. for voter turnout in 2022 in an elections performance analysis conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. While voter registrations have increased steadily, only an estimated 80% of Tennessee citizens eligible to vote are actually registered, despite online registration being available .

But state election officials expect much better turnout in November for the presidential election. Participation is historically much higher during presidential general elections — and rose to 69% in 2020.

“It has never been easier to register to vote or cast a ballot in Tennessee,” Kufner said. “Voters have the convenience and flexibility of the 14-day early voting period, as well as Election Day to make their voices heard. The Secretary of State’s office wants all registered voters to cast a ballot during the November election cycle, and we anticipate a robust turnout this fall.”

Voter participation in Davidson County was below the statewide average, with just under 66,200 voters turning out in U.S. Senate primaries.

In comparison, 66,071 ballots were cast in the March presidential preference primary, or about 13.1% of the total half million registered voters, compared with 23% of voters participating in last year’s Metro runoff elections.

Vivian Jones covers state government and politics for The Tennessean. Reach her at vjones@tennessean.com or on X at @Vivian_E_Jones.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Statewide turnout in Tennessee's August primary falls below 14% for first time in decades