What Nashville voters need to know before the Aug. 6 primary

Nashville and Davidson County voters will go to the polls Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, for three separate election components held on the same day: the Tennessee state and federal primary, the Davidson County general election and the Oak Hill municipal election. Early voting ran from July 17 through Aug. 1 and has ended, so voters who have not cast a ballot must plan to vote on Election Day.

The polls are scheduled to be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters must use their assigned Election Day polling place; an early-voting location should not be assumed to remain available for Election Day voting.

Check your registration and polling place

Before leaving home, use Nashville’s official election tools to confirm that your registration information is current and identify your assigned Election Day polling location. The city’s polling-place finder says it has been updated to reflect changes from the decennial redistricting process, which can affect a voter’s district or polling assignment.

If you are a registered Davidson County voter who moved within the county but did not update your address, election officials say you must go to the new assigned voting location on Election Day to change your address and vote. Do not rely on a familiar polling place without checking the official lookup first.

Bring acceptable photo identification

Voters must present photo identification issued by the federal government or the State of Tennessee unless an exemption applies. Bring the required ID before arriving at the polling place.

Review the sample ballot for your address

The official sample ballot covers multiple election categories, but not every Nashville-area voter will see every contest. Ballot contents depend on the voter’s residence, congressional and legislative districts, school board district, party ballot and municipality.

The state and federal primary includes governor and U.S. Senate contests, U.S. House races in Districts 4, 6 and 7, Tennessee Senate races in Districts 17, 19 and 21, and Tennessee House races in Districts 50 through 56 and 58 through 60. The applicable party ballot also includes state executive committee contests in specified Senate districts.

The county general election includes Davidson County judicial and administrative offices, including circuit and criminal court judge contests, public defender, county trustee, general sessions judge, sheriff, court clerks, county clerk and register of deeds. It also includes school board seats in Districts 2, 4, 6 and 8, along with judicial retention questions listed on the official ballot.

Voters in Oak Hill will also see a municipal election for three city commissioner seats. That contest is limited to Oak Hill voters and is separate from the state and federal primary and the Davidson County general election.

Choose one party ballot in the primary

Primary voters must select their preferred party ballot. The official instructions say voters should verify that selection on the printed application to vote before signing and again on the ballot-marking device before marking the ballot.

Redistricting-related implementation work makes it especially important to review the sample ballot for the voter’s address. Davidson County election officials have described accuracy reviews and district-assignment work ahead of the primary. The safest approach is to rely on the current official polling-place lookup and sample ballot rather than an older voter card, map or sample ballot.

Election Day checklist

• Confirm your voter registration information.
• Find your assigned Election Day polling place.
• Review the official sample ballot for your address and party choice.
• Bring acceptable federal- or Tennessee-issued photo identification.
• Choose one party ballot in the primary.
• Plan to vote Thursday between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
• Check whether your ballot includes Oak Hill, school board or district-specific congressional and legislative contests.

For Nashville and Davidson County voters, the practical step on Wednesday, Aug. 5, is to verify the address, polling place and ballot before leaving home. Early voting ended Aug. 1, and Election Day voting must take place at the location assigned to the voter.

Sources

• Official August 6, 2026 Nashville-Davidson County sample ballot
• WSMV redistricting coverage