A rally in support of abortion rights drew hundreds to downtown Nashville on Saturday, May 14, 2022. (Photo: John Partipilo)
Tennessee has had a checkered past when it comes to voting, too often ranking below other states due to our lack of voter participation. Never was that more apparent than in the August 4 primary elections in which fewer than 20% of Tennessee’s registered voters saw fit to cast their votes. Some counties did far worse than that, including Rutherford which saw a disheartening turnout of only 14.5%.
Although voters historically underperform in non-presidential elections, given the importance of many of the offices being filled and the role these individuals play in our communities and our lives, such disinterest is alarming and brings to mind the words of late Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill when he proclaimed that “all politics is local.” That certainly applied to Rutherford County where voters were tasked with selecting from a bounty of candidates running for county and city mayor, sheriff, district attorney, county commission, city council, school board, and a slew of judgeships. Contradicting that favorite excuse from non-voters that “my vote doesn’t matter anyway” was the fact that one county commission race was lost by a paltry 38 votes, another was won by a mere 27.
That Rutherford County and Murfreesboro, its county seat, are in one of Tennessee’s fastest growing areas, would seem ample reason for voters to want to be heard. Gone are the...
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