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Early voting turnout down 31% in Hamilton County compared with previous presidential primaries

Staff photo by Matt Hamilton/ Frank Gibson, left, helps Chattanooga resident Peter Hawkins record his ballot at the Hamilton County Election Commission on Feb. 15. Staff photo by Matt Hamilton/ Frank Gibson, left, helps Chattanooga resident Peter Hawkins record his ballot at the Hamilton County Election Commission on Feb. 15.

By Dave Flessner February 29, 2024 5 min read

Fewer Tennesseans are casting ballots in this year’s primary contest to pick the nominees for U.S. president with the contests largely decided for both major political parties ahead of the Super Tuesday elections.

Early voting turnout in the presidential primary election across Tennessee over the past two weeks fell by almost 20% compared to turnout four years ago and was down by about 30% from Tennessee’s 2016 presidential primary, according to figures from the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office.

In Hamilton County, early voting totals in this year’s primary elections were down even further, plunging by more than 31% from the number of early votes cast in 2016 and 2020.

“Early voting is almost always a great predictor of Election Day turnout, and the lack of a competitive presidential race on either side is not producing any drama this year,” said James Kent Syler, a professor of political science and public policy at Middle Tennessee State University who teaches a course on presidential elections. “A lot of voters see the outcome as a foregone conclusion and have chosen just to wait until November to cast their ballots.”