Knoxville, August 17, 2025

News Summary

Early voting for the Knoxville City Council primary election has reached its halfway mark, with a total of 2,002 early votes and 472 absentee ballots cast. The low voter turnout, characterized by precincts reporting fewer than 100 voters daily, raises concerns about voter awareness. The primary is set for August 26, with notable participation rules for property-qualified voters. Turnout remains crucial to shaping local governance, and efforts to engage the community may be necessary as the election approaches.

Knoxville

Early voting for the Knoxville City Council primary election reached its halfway mark last week, with only 2,002 early votes and 472 absentee ballots cast as of this time. The primary is scheduled on August 26, followed by the general election on November 4. Voting turnout has been low, with no precinct recording over 100 voters per day during the initial days.

A lack of awareness among potential voters regarding the contests and their eligibility to vote at any early polling place may be contributing to the low turnout. Notably, there are 230 non-resident voters who are eligible to influence some races by virtue of the property-qualified voting rule, which allows property owners in Knoxville with specific qualifications to vote.

Non-Resident Voter Information

Individuals qualify as property-qualified voters if they own property in Knoxville with a minimum lot size of 4,000 square feet and have purchased it at least six months prior to election day. The Knox County Election Commission emphasizes that registering as a property-qualified voter does not revoke existing voter registration. However, the deadline to register for the August 26 election coincides with the regular voter registration deadline, which has now passed.

As of July 14, there are 287 property-qualified voters in Knoxville, with 242 eligible to vote in the city council primary. An additional 45 voters can only participate in the general election for District 5, which does not have a council seat on the ballot this year. Property-qualified voters are required to vote absentee by mail and will receive an absentee ballot application automatically if they are registered.

Voting Locations and Turnout

The early voting period will conclude on August 21, with voting hours extended across six locations. Notably, District 1 has seen the lowest turnout with only 379 early votes cast, while District 4 reported the highest at 625 votes. Other districts such as Districts 3 and 6 saw 488 and 421 early votes, respectively. Comparatively, the turnout during the same period in the 2023 city primary was significantly higher, with 2,831 votes cast.

Historical Context

In August 2021, early voting counts reached 2,419 votes at the same point in the cycle, eventually leading to a total of 10,043 votes in that primary. This current election cycle marks a pivotal change as it is the first affected by a new state law restricting voting rights to district residents alone. While the upcoming primary ballot does not contain a proposed sales tax increase, that measure will appear in the general election ballot.

Candidate Roster

Candidate names for the primary election are as follows:

• District 1: Karyn Adams, Lindsey Jaremko, Becky Jones, and Charles Van Morgan
• District 2: Nathan Honeycutt and Melody Watts
• District 3: Nick Ciparro, Ivan Harmon, Doug Lloyd, and Frank Ramey
• District 4: Jeff Talman and Matthew DeBardelaben
• District 6: Charles Frazier, Denzel Grant, Stan Johnson, George Raudenbush, and Lawrence Williams

Summary

As early voting approaches its conclusion, the Knoxville City Council primary election stands at a lower participation rate compared to previous years, highlighting potential areas for greater community engagement and awareness. Voter turnout remains critical in shaping local governance.

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Additional Resources

• Knox News: Out-of-Town Voters in Knoxville
• WBIR: Low Turnout for Knoxville City Council Races
• WATE: Early Voting Turnout Comparison
• Wikipedia: Elections in the United States
• Knox News: Early Voting Hours and Locations

Author: STAFF HERE KNOXVILLE WRITER

The KNOXVILLE STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HEREKnoxville.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Knoxville, Knox County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as Dogwood Arts Festival, Big Ears Festival, and Knoxville Asian Festival. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Knoxville Area Chamber Partnership and United Way of Greater Knoxville, plus leading businesses in healthcare, education, and energy that power the local economy such as Covenant Health, University of Tennessee, and Tennessee Valley Authority. As part of the broader HERE network, including HEREBristol.com, HEREChattanooga.com, HEREMemphis.com, and HERENashville.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Tennessee's dynamic landscape.