Midterm elections will take place across the United States on Nov. 6, and although it is few days until Election Day, many people have cast their votes early.
Eric Groenendyk, a political science professor at the University of Memphis, said the high numbers may be a result of people beginning to take politics more seriously.
“We know that Americans have been following politics more closely over the last couple years, and the high early voting rates may indicate that this close attention will translate into a high turnout,” Groenendyk said. “If Democrats can take control of the House or the Senate, they would not only have the power to block President Trump’s legislation; they will have the power to investigate the president.”
Tennessee has seen an increase of early votes for this year’s midterms in comparison to the 2014 midterms. There were 634,364 advance ballots cast in Tennessee in 2014, according to a report from the United States Election Project, an information source for the U.S. electoral system. Including the advance ballots, the total amount of votes in 2014 was 1,430,117 in the state.
As of Oct. 31, citizens of Tennessee have cast 1,255,089 advance mail-in ballots, according to the United States Election Project. Even though that does not include in-person votes, it is a 197.8 percent increase from the advance ballots in 2014.
The United States Election Project has 33 different states advance ballot totals updated as of Oct. 30, and of all of those states, Tennessee has the highest increase in advance ballot totals in comparison to 2014. Texas has next highest increase with 178.8 percent.
The Shelby County Election Commission reported 180,234 people in the county have cast their votes early, in-person and by mail, as of 5 p.m. Thursday.
Groenendyk said people should be cautious about interpreting the high early voting numbers as a sign of things to come.
“Part of the explanation for high rates of early voting may simply be that people are getting more accustomed to voting early rather than voting on Election Day,” Groenendyk said. “It is possible that early voting could be way up, while Election Day voting could be down, partially or totally canceling out the high rates of early voting.”
Michael Sances, a political science professor at the U of M, said it is a general trend for the early vote totals to increase during every election.
“People are voting early more and more often,” Sances said. “The number goes up every two years, and the majority of people choose to vote before elections.”
Sances also said the conditions of the 2018 election play a big factor as to why the early vote totals have increased.
“The 2018 election is simply more enticing than the 2014 election was,” Sances said. “The election in 2014 just did not excite people that much. The voting for both the Senate and the governor this year is more exciting and has created a much more competitive election environment.”
Suzanne Thompson, a spokesperson for the Shelby County Election Commission, said several big reasons have lead to the increased amount of early voters.
“Midterm elections serve as a barometer for how the president is doing as we are halfway through the term,” Thompson said. “Our president seems to evoke strong feelings from both Democrats and Republicans, and this is how voters show their voices.
Thompson also said that the organization has high expectations for advance ballots.
“We anticipate roughly 300,000 early voters by the date of midterms,” Thompson said. “It has been a statewide trend for different counties to experience a massive influx of early voters.”
Thompson also said they expect long lines and will be maxed out on staff and machines. She said the organization has been thrilled to see these numbers.
“There has been an unprecedented turnout of early voters compared to 2014,” Thompson said. “We are all so happy. It is a gratifying feeling for us to see so many people voting.”
