The numbers say Tennessee doesn’t vote. The counties tell a more complicated story.
First article in the numbers series
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project
Tennessee is often described as a state that does not vote.
The numbers can support that argument. Turnout in many local elections is low. In some counties, it is astonishingly low. But after reviewing election data from more than 50 Tennessee counties, representing more than 2 million registered voters and more than 360,000 ballots cast, the simpler explanation starts to break down.
The numbers do not lie. But they may be hiding several deeper truths.
This project began with a straightforward question: How many people voted in Tennessee’s county primary elections, and how did that compare with prior cycles? The answers quickly revealed something larger. County by county, the data showed that turnout is not shaped by one factor. It is shaped by ballot competition, civic identity, candidate recruitment, local trust, race visibility and whether voters believe participation can meaningfully affect the outcome.
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