How do Nashville's 2024 early voting numbers compare to previous elections?

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — How long would you be willing to wait in line to cast your ballot? That's a question many early voters in Nashville had to ask themselves this week. In Hermitage, the average wait was nearly two hours around midday on Friday.

The line snaked past the fiction and nonfiction sections of the library. “Everywhere on all the bookshelves,” said Leslie Bills, a Nashville voter. “We waited about an hour and twenty minutes!”

Judy Cummings made her second attempt at election on Friday. “Yesterday I waited in line for about thirty minutes and didn’t get very far,” Cummings said.

Turns out Friday wasn't a much better option. “I tried to get it done before the end of fall break, the week when there aren't many people here. Wrong,” Cummings said.

In any other year, such a large turnout would be truly surprising, but considering there is a presidential election this year. Many of the voters we spoke to said they were encouraged to vote in the presidential election. “I really wish we had more people on other election dates,” Bills said.

Even though early voting is still early, we decided to take a look at some of the turnout numbers so far:

Davidson County 2024 Early Voting Totals:

Day 1: 13,986

Day 2: 30,469 (including Day 1 numbers)

Davidson County 2020 early voting totals:

Day 1: 12,899

Day 2: 30,418 (including Day 1 numbers)

Convenience and time management aside, everyone we spoke to seemed very pleased that the line was so long. “A lot of people fought for the right to vote, you have to use your right to vote,” Bills said.

“I like it when people go to the polls,” said Terrence Starks, another voter in line. “If I had to do it again, I would do it again.”

Of course, voting in the library has its privileges. “As soon as I got here, I just took it off the shelf,” joked a woman in line as she read a book.

If you want to vote early and are worried about the lines, don't worry yet. Early voting in Tennessee lasts until Halloween. If this is 2020, lines are usually a little shorter during the second week of early voting.

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