WILSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — WILSON COUNTY, Tenn. — Early voting is underway in Wilson County, where more than 26,000 ballots have already been cast — but election officials said the turnout percentage is lower than where it stood at the same point in 2018.
Wilson County Administrator of Elections Tammy Smith said the current early voting rate sits at 23% turnout, compared to 32% at this same point during the 2018 election cycle.
"In 2018, right now we were at 32 percent turnout - we're now at 23 percent turnout for the same time period for early voting," Smith said.
Despite the lower percentage, the raw number of voters in the fast-growing county continues to climb.
Smith said Wilson County has grown from roughly 84,000 registered voters in 2018 to 115,000 today — an increase of about 31,000 voters over eight years.
Smith added that early voting turnout is outpacing 2022 numbers, even if it falls short of the 2018 percentage.
Mt. Juliet is leading the county in early voter turnout, according to Smith, who attributed the strong showing there to competitive local races.
"People in Mt. Juliet are really turning out, but they have two hotly contested races," Smith said.
For Lebanon resident Joshua Brewster, early voting is a regular habit.
"We kind of like that we do have that early voting so that we can come in on our lunch breaks or something like that," Brewster said.
For Kendall Posey, this election marked a first-time early voting experience — and a quick one.
"It took like 3 minutes, but it's starting to get busy in there now," Posey said.
Posey also had a message for voters who haven't yet made it to the polls.
"Your vote does matter... that's for sure, don't let anyone tell you it doesn't, your vote does matter, come out and vote.. we need it," Posey said.
Early voting in Wilson County continues through Thursday October 29, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. at four locations across Wilson County.
Those locations are the Wilson County Election Commission in Lebanon at 230 E. Gay Street.
The community center at Charlie Daniels Park at 1075 Charlie Daniels Parkway in Mt. Juliet.
The Gladeville Community Center at 95 McCrary Road in Lebanon.
The Watertown Community Center 8630 Sparta Pike in Watertown.
Unlike Davidson County, where voters must go to their assigned polling location on Election Day, any registered Wilson County voter may cast a ballot at any of the 18 voting centers open on election day.
Click here for a list of those: Election Day Voting Locations | Wilson County Election Commission
You do need to bring your photo I.D. and if you're a new voter you may want to bring your voter card you get in the mail.
For voters in Mt. Juliet, Smith advises stopping by West Wilson Middle School to vote if the line at Charlie Daniels Park is too long.
That location is back in the mix as a spot to cast your ballot.
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