(Mike Osborne) — In spite of the charged political climate, significantly fewer Tennesseans turned out to vote in last week’s state and federal primaries and state and local general elections.
Preliminary data from election officials shows that roughly 891,000 state residents cast a ballot this past week. That represents a 27 percent drop from voter participation in the 2018 mid-term primaries and a 17 percent decrease from the 2014 mid-terms.
Roughly one out of every 5 adult Tennessee residents chose to vote last week.
Ballotpedia reports Tennessee currently has the nation’s fifth lowest election participation rate.