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.