Tennessee easily set a new early voting record this month, with more than 385,000 ballots cast in the presidential primary. About two-thirds were Republican voters.
Election officials anticipate a Super Tuesday primary turnout that’s as big as what they typically see for a November election day.
Almost all Tennessee counties (85) surpassed their 2012 early vote totals. And more than half of the counties (53) were even ahead of the tallies in 2008 — a hot race that picked eventual nominees John McCain and Barack Obama.
Using the early vote totals, state elections coordinator Mark Goins projects about a million voters will show up on Tuesday. That will feel like a fall election.
“So we are looking at a situation where we may be very close to a November presidential election, as far as a turnout on the election day,” he said.
In other words, prepare for a lengthy ballot that includes party convention delegates, says Secretary of State Tre Hargett.
At some precincts, the average early voter looked over the ballot for 7 minutes — that’s on top of a potential half-hour wait to get into a booth.
“So we’re encouraging people to be informed and educated voters and be ready to go behind the curtain and vote once they get there,” he said.
Hargett touted the “GoVoteTN” app, which includes a sample ballot for a practice run. A change in state law allows voters to carry that with them into the voting booth to speed the process.
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