Knox County Early Voting Experiences Record Turnout Ahead of Election Day

KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. — Early Voting Sees High Turnout

Knox County is buzzing with excitement as we enter the final week of early voting in Tennessee! With just days left for voters to cast their ballots, the Knox County Election Commission is reporting some impressive numbers. By the end of October 23, a whopping 80,844 early votes had been collected along with 5,067 absentee ballots. It’s wonderful to see so many people engaging in the democratic process!

Where is Everyone Voting?

Curious about where everyone is showing up to vote? The Downtown West early voting location has emerged as the favorite, gathering more than 13,800 votes. Not far behind is the polling place in Farragut, and rounding out the top three is the Knoxville Expo Center. It appears that most of the voters have come from outside of the city, indicating that many residents of Knox County are eager to make their voices heard!

A Comparison with Previous Elections

To put this in perspective, during the early voting period of the 2020 presidential election, only about 65,700 early votes were cast. In the previous presidential election, the figure was nearly 67,000. So, it seems like the enthusiasm for voting this time around is truly remarkable!

First-Time Voters and Age Demographics

It’s especially exciting to see that approximately 7,900 first-time voters in Knox County have already cast their ballots in the early voting window. Among the demographics, voters aged 55 and up have made up the largest portion of participants so far, with around 54,000 votes cast from this age group. Meanwhile, younger voters aged 18 to 29 have lagged behind, collectively casting only around 7,000 votes.

We decided to take a closer look at the views of some of these younger voters at the University of Tennessee. James Cowell, a 23-year-old student, mentioned that “universal health care is pretty important” to him, alongside issues like decreasing housing costs. His fellow student, 18-year-old Elena Goss, emphasized her concerns about housing and zoning regulations, environmental justice, abortion, and gun control. Out of the eight Gen Z students we chatted with, the majority are ready to take action: five have already voted early, while only two mentioned they wouldn’t be voting this time around.

What’s Next for Voters in Knox County?

As we look ahead, there are still six days left for early voting. If you plan on heading out to vote early, be prepared for some long lines. It’s worth noting that even longer lines are expected on Election Day, which falls on November 5. The early voting period officially ends on October 31, allowing voters some last-minute time to participate.

In addition to deciding who will be the next President of the United States, Knoxville residents will also be voting on an amendment to the city charter, which includes a change in the city’s voting style. There are also some critical races on the ballot for seats in the Tennessee legislature and the United States Congress.

Statewide Trends

The Knox County Election Commission has noted that there are approximately 336,000 registered voters in the county. With around 25% of registered voters having already cast their ballots, it makes one wonder what the final turnout will look like! Across the entire state of Tennessee, about 1.14 million votes have been recorded so far, which surpasses in-person voting totals from the same period in 2016 by around 33%.

A few counties in East Tennessee are reporting high turnout rates as well. Loudon County has seen a remarkable 36% turnout rate, closely followed by Unicoi and Cumberland Counties at 30%, while Roane County stands strong at around 29%. It’s encouraging to see such involvement in the electoral process!

With so much happening in Knox County and across Tennessee, it’s clear that this election is one that many will remember.