NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Around half of people who vote this election cycle are expected to head to the polls Tuesday, according to the Davidson County Election Commission.
Administrator Jeff Roberts says the early voting versus election day turnout can vary, but usually between 40 and 60 percent of voters cast their ballots early.
And hundreds of thousands of registered voters in Nashville have not yet cast a ballot.
That's why Mayor Freddie O'Connell is making one last push to try to get approval for his comprehensive Choose How You Move transit plan.
While you may see some "anti-transit tax" signs around town, there isn't a big, organized push against the transit referendum like Nashville saw in 2018.
Then, a plan to increase sales tax by one percent and put five light rail lines across the city failed by a whopping 64-36 margin.
This time around, many early voters told us they voted for the plan.
This is what we heard from people in Bellevue:
"I voted for it," said Lori Ost, whose main factor was the additional sidewalks.
"I read up on it, and I really think it’s a good thing for the city," said Brody Loewl who wants a better bus system.
Jerome Whaley also voted to approve.
"I've been to Europe," he said. "so I know there is better (than what we have)."
"Traffic's just gonna get worse with all the people moving here," noted Sam Gross, who said he probably wouldn't ride the bus, but thinks it's important that Nashville have better bus service.
And this is what we heard in Bordeaux:
"I think it’s a pretty good idea," said Darwin Jackson, who specifically noted the 24-hour bus service.
Local pastor and former council member Jerry Maynard was at the voting precinct, encouraging church members to vote yes.
"The cost of living here in Davidson County is extremely high," he said. "But if you think about it, if you can have an alternative transportation route, you can save on gas, you can save on the wear and tear of your car, you can save on pollution."
Mary Drew also voted for the plan, but says with the cost of everything going up, she thinks there will be a tax raise either way.
"The fact that it's an investment - that's a tough ask," acknowledged Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell.
He knows that asking voters to green light a tax increase is no walk in the park. And says even without a big anti-transit push, his plan still faces a big obstacle.
"Somebody might read it (the ballot measure) and not actually consider the benefit, only consider the cost."
And he's right. It's a cost some voters don't want to pay.
"I love the idea, but the cost of it was really high," said Caleb Betczynski, who says he prefers Metro pay for the improvements from revenue it already has.
Jonathan Leonard agreed, saying he didn't know enough about the plan to want to increases taxes.
"I didn’t want to spend a lot of money that was in there on something, without me knowing something about it," he said.
And some who know the plan well are now coming out against it, like Council Member for District 1 Joy Kimbrough.
She says her district isn't seeing as much change from the plan as others.
"Based on that map (online) you can see with your own two eyes - I don’t even want to say the benefit – the lack of benefit for this community. A community that is already aggrieved, already overlooked," she said, talking about Bordeaux and the surrounding area.
When asked about the Council Member's concerns, Mayor O'Connell called her position "both surprising and disappointing."
"She supported it in Council and didn't raise any of these concerns then. Our team met with her and went over the changes and she seemed to approve of them," he said.
He points to the new North Nashville Transit Center and the recent smart lights installed on Clarksville pike, that turn green when they see a car coming. He says both serve as an example of improvements for North Nashville that are heading to the rest of Metro.
"The whole system will move all of the traffic more efficiently," he said. "We think the overall city is going to benefit tremendously from this, and this is going to let us prepare for a much better future with a more connected Nashville."
And on Tuesday, voters will decide if they think it's worth the cost.
If you want to see details on how the plan would change options in your neighborhood, you can check out an interactive map.
The Choose How you Move plan calls for $3.1 billion and promises 86 miles of new sidewalks in the first 15 years, along with a dozen new transit centers, new crosstown bus routes, 24-hour bus service, 17 park and ride locations and nearly 600 traffic lights ugraded to a connected, smart network.
"This allows us to step outside the year-over-year capital operating process," Mayor O'Connell said, "and secures over $100 million per year. Most of that will be paid by out-of-county residents or visitors."
The cost is a half percent sales tax increase, which would change Nashville's combined state and local sales tax from 9.25 percent to 9.75 percent.
Surrounding counties that pay 9.75 percent include Dickson, Maury, Robertson, Rutherford, Williamson and Wilson Counties.
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-Rebecca Schleicher
