Young voters in Tennessee have significantly low turnout for elections. The lack of participation is more drastic when considering just how low turnout is in local elections.
According to Metro Nashville’s election statistics, in March, just 13.11 percent of registered voters cast a vote for Davidson County’s presidential and county primary. In August of last year, 20.52 percent of registered voters participated in the Metro general election, the state House District 51 primary and the state House District 52 special general election. According to data from CIRCLE, a nonpartisan research organization focused on youth civic engagement, 12.7 percent of Tennessee residents between the ages of 18 and 29 voted in the 2022 midterm elections. Despite the fact that people younger than 30 are often vocal about politics, these statistics show that many young Tennessee voters participate the least. So why do so few young voters participate in local politics?
One potential barrier for young voters in Nashville and surrounding cities is a lack of access, education or understanding. Organizations such as the Southern Movement Committee are combating these barriers for young voters. When asked about how education has affected involvement, SMC’s arts and culture director Mike Floss explains what he’s heard from students and how the program tries to fill that gap in education.
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“What we have heard from many of our students is that the information on how to engage in the political process is new to them,” says Floss. “We work with students and their families to teach them about the political process and how organizing can transform their conditions. We work with students to use political engagement as a tool to develop policies and programs that will address the issues they see in their schools and community. Political engagement at every scale is necessary — if we start locally we can grow understanding and local impact.”
The barriers facing young voters aren't new — many of them also keep Black and working-class voters of all ages from the polls. Floss sees these similarities firsthand while working within the Nashville community.
“Navigating work schedules, transportation to and from the polls, and voter ID requirements are some barriers they face,” says Floss. “Our work is to ensure young people have the tools and information they need to engage in voting and local politics. Our campaign meetings and town halls ensure young adults have access to local politics. Practicing democracy is a muscle, and our work is to build that muscle together, so we understand our power and know how to engage in the process to address our needs.”
Lack of interest and complacency are other potential causes for young voters’ political participation paucity. Belmont University Southern politics professor Vaughn May noticed a similar disinterest in local politics as a field of undergraduate study.
“My sense is that state and local politics is not a big draw for most undergraduates, who are far more interested in topics that ‘pop,’” says May. “Presidential elections, mass-mediated politics, the politics of gender/race, etc. At Belmont, state and local politics is an occasional elective, not a required course. There is simply not a demand for it.”
May has noticed that his students are more inclined to participate in discussions, protests or direct action when the topic is a large-scale issue. When it comes to the more “mundane” topics that local politics typically focuses on, there’s little obvious crossover in their lives as young adults.
May says he’s noticed that students work and organize when an issue is "sexy" enough — like gun rights and abortion access.
“Many local issues, though, will be less visible,” says May. “For example, the condition of Nashville’s roads, or the frequency of trash pickups in local neighborhoods, simply don’t resonate at the same level. For particular groups of young people — college students who live on campus — these issues may not resonate at all.”
May also teaches media in politics and has observed that information on federal politics doesn’t spread at the same pace as information about local politics.
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“Additionally, there is less ‘accidental’ learning that accompanies local politics,” says May. “For example, my students generally have a good grasp of the dynamics of this presidential election and have strong opinions about Trump or Biden, even if they pay little attention to the news. It’s almost impossible to avoid the presidential campaign, even if one consciously chooses to avoid politics. The information costs rise, however, in local elections. It requires young people to research obscure campaigns and to ‘do their homework’ on a variety of candidates/races.”
Sometimes the best way to overcome these barriers is to get involved with those working in local politics. The Southern Movement Community provides guidance and resources for furthering education on political involvement. SMC and Black Nashville Assembly host community dinners and monthly campaign meetings where they provide access to this information.
Another route is participating in local elections by interning for political teams or volunteering for local government offices. Doing individual research on how federal politics and local politics connect is another great way to spark interest in “mundane” local topics.
“I think students might be surprised at how much of their lives are shaped by state and local decision-making — whether for good or for ill,” says May.
