TN-7 final early vote total lands at 84,356 ahead of Election Day

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District closed out 14 days of early and absentee voting on Wednesday with 84,356 ballots cast, according to final figures released by the Tennessee Secretary of State’s Division of Elections just ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. The totals reflect an early-vote composition consistent with the district’s Republican lean, with urban participation falling short of the levels that would have indicated a competitive early electorate.

Davidson County, the district’s largest Democratic source, ended the early-vote period with 20,951 ballots, representing 24.8 percent of the districtwide total. For Democrat Aftyn Behn, a competitive position going into Election Day would have required Davidson to make up a substantially larger share of early voters. Those thresholds were not met during the two-week early-vote window, though Election Day turnout could still shift overall participation.

Montgomery County finished with 19,110 early votes. The county delivered solid volume, but its share of the early electorate was not high enough on its own to counterbalance Davidson’s lower-than-needed early turnout. Behn’s campaign will need stronger turnout next Tuesday in Montgomery County to remain competitive.

Williamson County, one of the strongest Republican bases in Tennessee, recorded 14,777 early votes, accounting for nearly 18 percent of the districtwide total. That level of early participation strengthens Van Epps’ position entering next Tuesday.

Suburban and rural counties — including Robertson, Cheatham, Dickson, Hickman, Stewart and Humphreys — maintained a sizable share of the early electorate. These counties historically vote heavily Republican in general elections, and their early-vote totals remained stable throughout the period.

The completed early-vote breakdown showed no late shift toward urban counties that might have signaled a changing electorate composition. While Davidson and Montgomery posted their highest single-day totals at the end of early voting, the overall county distribution remained largely consistent.

With early voting now closed, both campaigns turn fully to Election Day.

Polls open Tuesday, Dec. 2, and close at 7 p.m. Central.