(The Center Square) — More Tennessee residents are voting in person than in the 2020 pandemic year, but overall totals are down due to differences in absentee votes.
The Secretary of State’s office reports that 1,801,162 Tennesseans have cast their ballots in the first 12 days of early voting. The total was 1,766,988 in 2020.
However, more people overall voted early in 2020 than this year due to more absentee votes. The absentee ballot count was 195,939 in 2020 and 74,131 this year. The total number of ballots cast in the first 12 days this year is 1,875,298, and was 1,962,927 in 2020.
“Tennessee’s early voting period continues to run smoothly, and the enthusiasm we have seen is evident as in-person early voting numbers are outpacing 2020 in-person numbers,” Doug Kufner, communications director for Secretary of State Tre Hargett, said in an email to The Center Square. “Most voters have shared that their experiences are overwhelmingly positive, and we have heard similar reports from local elections officials.
“We are excited about and anticipate a robust turnout over the final days of early voting and Election Day.”
The 2024 numbers are 34% higher than 2016’s early ballot count, which was 1,403,054. The votes for 2016 are not separated by in-person and absentee.
While things are going smoothly at the polls, one county is having problems with the vandalism of campaign Trump/Vance signs in Wilson County. Two people have been arrested, Wilson County Republican Party Chairman Brad Lytle told The Center Square in a phone interview.
A $2,000 reward is being offered for information about any vandalism, Lytle said.
This is not how elections are decided, he said.
“We pick our candidates. We go to the polls. We settle it there,” Lytle said.
Sign vandalism is bipartisan. The Blount County Democratic Party reported that Harris/Walz signs were damaged during the first week of early voting, according to a post on its Facebook page.
Anyone caught stealing signs could face charges of vandalism, which is a misdemeanor.
Early voting ends on Thursday.
