Hundreds show up at wrong Davidson Co. precincts, election officials say

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - It took an extra trip for hundreds of Davidson County voters to cast their ballot Tuesday after many showed up at incorrect precincts.

The county’s election committee says the two trouble spots were Bellevue Public Library and Southeast Library. Both were early voting locations, but on Election Day, were stand-alone precincts. During early voting, residents can vote at any of the open polling places, regardless of address.

One poll worker at Bellevue Public Library told WSMV4 she guessed 70% of all people who showed up to vote there, were turned away because they were in the wrong place.

“I was really kind of shocked at how un-busy they are, and maybe that’s because we’re all being booted to another precinct,” Dedee Spiva said outside the Bellevue library. “It’s heartbreaking to think that a senior might come here, get that word, and go back home and not be able to vote.”

Spiva says she’d voted at the Bellevue library for years, and showed up like hundreds of others not knowing her polling place had been changed after this year’s redistricting.

“This stuff happens, whatever is motivating you to come out to vote shouldn’t stop you from driving a little bit of walking a little bit,” Michael Butler, who also had his polling location changed, said. “I don’t believe this should dissuade anybody if they switched polling places.”

Poll workers are reminding the public before polls close at 7 p.m. to check their voting cards to ensure they go to the right place.

The Davidson County Election Commission also reported a large turnout at Brook Hollow Baptist Church, Morgan Park Community Center, and the YWCA. Election leaders planned to run more machines out to those places to help with long lines.

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