MT. JULIET, Tenn. (WTVF) — West Wilson Middle School is back as a vote center in Wilson County for the first full election since a tornado destroyed the building in March 2020.
The tornado struck just before voters were scheduled to use the school for a Super Tuesday primary — the night before, election workers had already set up inside the gym.
"At this location, the first time I was supposed to be here was 2020," said Tim DeWitt, an election officer in Wilson County. "We had set up the night before for the election and had all of our stuff in the gym."
The school has been rebuilt and open for some time, and the voting center returned for primaries earlier this year. But Tuesday marked its first full general election since the storm, and election leaders said many voters still don't know it's an option again.
Mt. Juliet voter Caitlin Gray said she was originally headed to her usual polling location at Charlie Daniels Park when she spotted the signs for West Wilson.
“I was on my way to Charlie Daniels, which is where I’ve voted since I’ve lived here, and then I saw the signs up,” Gray said. “I was like, OK, way closer location.”
She estimated the change saved her more than an hour; it took her just a few minutes to vote.
"I have saved my entire lunch break," Gray said.
Fellow voter Stevan Bacchus-Grant said he learned about the West Wilson vote center through ChatGPT.
"It directed you to the website, but it does also show you the locations and the map. You can click it and it will take you straight to the directions," Bacchus-Grant said.
With short lines at West Wilson and longer waits reported at other centers in the county, election officials said they are working to spread the word for this election, and future elections and primaries.
"What we've been trying to do is get more people to come here," DeWitt said.
Wilson County is one of many Tennessee counties where registered voters can vote at any vote center county-wide, not a specific polling place based on their address.
Click here for more information about voting in Wilson County: Wilson County Election Commission.
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