KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Early voting totals are in, and more than 8,000 early votes have been cast in the Knoxville Primary Election.
Voters cast 7,988 votes at the polls, and including the 820 absentee ballots, the Knox County Election Commission says 8,808 votes were collected by the end of early voting.
The last two days of early voting were the busiest, with nearly 1,000 early votes coming in on August 23 and more than 1,300 early votes cast on August 24.
Compared to previous Knoxville Primary Elections, early votes in 2023 were slightly lower than in August 2019, where 9,329 early votes were cast, not including absentee ballots. According to the election commission, early voting and total voting numbers for the past five elections were:
- August 2019 – 9,329 early votes (total votes cast – 19,304)
- August 2015 – 2,002 early votes (total votes cast – 4,748)
- August 2011 – 10,622 early votes (total votes cast – 22,609 – this included a State Senate election on the ballot)
- August 2007 – 3,012 early votes (total votes cast – 6,682)
- August 2003 – 12,478 early votes (total votes cast – 29,883)
At the halfway point of early voting, just under 5% of currently registered City of Knoxville voters who voted in the 2020 Presidential Election had voted. At the conclusion of early voting, that number is closer to 13.6%. The Election Commission reports 8,058 of the 64,585 currently registered voters who voted in the Presidential Election have cast their ballots.
Absentee Ballots will continue to come into the Election Commission until election night on August 29, the commission said.
