Weakley, Benton County voter turnout among highest in state

MARTIN, Tenn. — We’ve all heard about some of the record breaking early voting numbers across the nation, and in Tennessee.

What you might not know? Two West Tennessee counties are helping drive those numbers.

According to the voter information compiled by the secretary of state’s office, both Weakley and Benton Counties are top 10 in the state when it comes to turnout among registered voters.

“Yesterday, we had already voted 32.2% of our voting population, so Weakley Countians are really showing up,” said Alex Britt, Weakley County Administrator of Elections.

At the Weakley County early voting site off Highway 45 in Martin, Britt says he’s never seen anything like it.

“I cannot compare even to 2016,” Britt said. “Our numbers are so much better.”

So far, Weakley County’s early voting totals through 7 days is over 50% of their entire vote total from 2016. If they continue at this rate, they will meet their 2016 vote total before election day ever begins.

Even with that record turnout, there was actually no wait line in Weakley County Thursday morning. They say that’s because they added a second location within the county, which has helped with both organization and voter turnout.

“We were just looking at it as a convenience for the voters,” Britt said. “But who knew, in 2020, we were going to need it? It wouldn’t just be a convenience, it would be a need.”

Britt says so far, it hasn’t slowed down.

“That last day of early voting, folks are like, ‘Well I want to get it done and this is my last chance.’ So they’ll show up big on that last day probably,” Britt said.

The election commission will be extending the hours on the final two days of early voting — October 28 and 29. Instead of closing at 4 p.m., they will be closing at 6 p.m.

For more information on Tennessee early voting numbers, click here.