NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Nashville could become the first major city to have a law blocking city services in any other language.

Early voting continues at the Davidson County Election Commission through Jan. 17, with the special election on Jan. 22.

Related: Survey: Do You Support "English Only?" | Video: Nearly 30 Cities Have 'English Only'-Type Laws

Early voting for "English Only" -- a measure that aims to make English the official language of Metro government -- began Friday.

Election officials said they are shocked by the amount of people voting early: three times more in the first three days than in the last big special election four years ago.

"It opens the floodgates for other cities saying, 'Oh, look, Nashville did this; we should, too.' I think this is a horrible, horrible measure," said William Engel.

"If you're a citizen and you want access to the services, then you should speak English," said supporter Jay Garrett.

Similar ordinances are already in effect in nearly 30 smaller cities and towns in the United States, such as Hazleton, Pa.

Hazleton's mayor said there has been a drop in the number of illegal immigrants moving to the city, but said the city's Hispanic population grew overall.

"Over 32 new Hispanic-owned businesses have moved into Hazleton, and our Hispanic population continues to grow here, so I have not seen an adverse effect on creating the law," said Mayor Lou Barletta in a phone interview Monday.

In Farmers Branch -- a suburb of Dallas, Texas -- "English Only" was passed by the City Council more than a year ago. A city representative said it's too early to tell if it has had any major effect on economic development.

"Any comment or impact since then could be called minimal," said Tom Bryson.

But in Carpentersville, Ill., where more than 40 percent of residents are Hispanic, the new law continues to draw protests, and the city is facing several lawsuits calling it unconstitutional.

It's unclear what kind of impact "English Only" would have in Nashville, since none of the cities with the law is as big or relies as heavily on tourism or economic development

But backers said at the very least, "English Only" will preserve the English language.

Green Bay, Wis., and Fort Smith, Ark., also recently passed similar "English Only" rules.

Most of the cities with the law have been sued. A few of them have been forced to make some changes after federal judges found parts of their "English Only" law unconstitutional.