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Your Guide to the Aug 6 Federal and State Primary Elections

Posted on July 16
Whitney Pastorek

Whitney Pastorek

white sign with read arrow pointing reads "vote here"

Election Day is Aug. 6! (Margaret Kingsbury / City Cast Nashville)

Get your ballots ready for the State and Federal Midterm Primary Elections, as well as the Davidson County Municipal Election! Early voting runs July 17 to Aug. 1, and Election Day is Aug. 6. Here’s your guide to this election, from where to vote to what’s on the ballot.

🗳️ What’s on the Ballot

Here’s the sample ballot. Because no Republican candidates qualified for the May 5 Davidson County municipal primary, the Democratic nominees are the presumptive winners.

Be sure to check your new congressional district! The recent Republican-led redistricting may have drawn you into a new U.S. House district. Districts 4 [map], 6 [map], and 7 [map] now include Davidson County; District 5 does not.

While the sample ballot might look long, you’ll only vote on the races in your district, and many State House and Senate candidates are also running uncontested. Here’s a tool to see what will be on your specific ballot based on your address.

The Nashville Banner has profiled the Democratic candidates in the highly-contested TN House District 59 race for Rep. Caleb Hemmer’s empty seat.

Our local news outlets have also profiled the federal candidates:

Finally, you will be voting to retain or replace two justices on the Tennessee Supreme Court and five appellate court judges. WPLN has a great guide on how to navigate those choices.

City Cast

Your Guide to the 2026 Midterm Primary Election in Nashville

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🪪 How To Vote

Tennessee doesn’t have same-day voter registration, so if you’re not registered to vote here, you’ll be unable to participate in this election. Check your registration status here. But you can register now for the Nov. 3 general election, where you can cast your ballot on the final federal and state candidates, plus municipal elections in local areas like Belle Meade and Forest Hills.

If you meet the eligibility requirements, the last day to request an absentee ballot is July 27.

Tennessee requires a photo ID to vote. Here’s a list of accepted IDs.

📍 Where To Vote

There are 15 early voting locations throughout Davidson County where you can cast your vote every day except Sunday. This includes brand-new EV locations at the Davidson County Election Commission office, the Community Foundation of Middle TN, and the Scarritt Bennett Center.

On Election Day, you must vote at your designated polling location. You can find your polling location on your voter registration card, or check online here. Don’t show up to an early voting location on Aug. 6 unless it’s your designated polling location, or you’ll be turned away!

🗳️ Listen to our election guide

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