Here’s What Got Voters Out to the Polls in Neighborhoods Across Nashville on Election Day

This story is part of the Nashville Banner’s ZIP Code Project. The community engagement effort assigns Banner staffers to various ZIP codes across the city, where they spend significant time listening to residents and elevating stories directly from the community.

On this Election Day, we sent our editorial staff out to the eight ZIP codes we have been embedding in over the past year and a half, as we listen and get to know the communities and their hopes and needs. 

We wanted to know what issues were motivating people to vote this year, and what they hope to see officials focus on after this election. 

37115 Madison

T’Angela Cole cast her ballot at the Madison Park Community Center, which had a slow but steady flow of voters around mid-morning. She said she was there to “try to make a difference.” She cited the prices of gas and food as concerns. At the very top of her list of issues was jobs.

“It’s a lot of people that’s unemployed,” she said, “but the state’s not giving us any support with jobs, you know what I’m saying?” 

Also at Madison Park, Reginald Boyd told the Banner he voted because “there’s so much going on.” When asked to elaborate, he said there was one candidate who “wouldn’t debate,” and added, “I just feel like when you do that, you got something to hide, I don’t need you trying to represent me.” 

Boyd said that for him, the top issue in his community was affordable housing: “When you start seeing people that you went to school with homeless … and you know they hard workers and stuff, it’s a problem,” he said.

— Steve Haruch

37217 Airport/Priest Lake

Mid-morning voters at Smith Springs Community Center in South Nashville were greeted by John Patrick, the father of state Senate District 17 Democratic nominee Lindsey Patrick-Wright. No other campaign volunteers or other outside groups were present between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. No poll watchers had logged in as of 11 a.m. 

Charles Carney, a 71-year-old voter at Smith Springs Community Center, cited the economy, gas prices and the war in Iran as issues on his mind as he made his selections. 

Asked what he wants to see come out of Tuesday’s election, Carney said, “just somebody get in there with some sense, man.”

A 25-year-old voter named Asia, who declined to share her last name, said she came out to vote because “I want to make a difference.”

She said the cost of living and “trying to make it livable” were top of mind as she went into the voting booth. 

David Mastin, another Smith Springs Community Center voter, said he was focused on “the same things as everybody else”: the economy and the war in Iran. 

His hope for Tuesday’s election is that Americans emerge more unified. He recalled the response to the 2020 tornado in Nashville. 

“All the volunteers, they didn’t have a line that said Democrats,” Mastin said. “They didn’t have a line that said independents. They didn’t have a line that said Republicans. Everybody just showed up. Nobody asked what party affiliation. … Everybody worked, and how come they can’t do the same thing in Washington?”

“You and I can have an opinion,” he continued. “We can have an opinion about Miller Lite’s better than Bud Light, or vice versa. But at the end of the day, we’re drinking beer.”

— Stephen Elliott

37210 Woodbine/Napier

Residents walked from their homes to the Napier Community Center to place their votes on the windy morning. 

Larita Cairo told the Banner that it was important to vote in this election because her ancestors fought for her voting rights. 

“People had to count marbles and gumballs just to vote because the powers that be did not want us to have an impact,” she said. “It’s extremely important to me that I make my vote known.”

Cairo hopes that elected officials will look past their constituents’ incomes and provide resources that are needed in her community, such as more school funding and counseling that will help break the generational traumas her neighbors are experiencing.

“If the parents didn’t get [the support], it’ll be hard to give it to their kids,” she said. “Kids need to get back to the basics, like … taking pride in who you are and where you live, because your beginning doesn’t mean that’s your end destination.”

The top issue on Jesse Mooney’s mind was affordability. After living in Napier for the past 32 years, he’s seen his neighborhood change due to gentrification, and his neighbors have struggled with accessing SNAP and Medicaid benefits because of “legislation that hurts our community,” he said.

He hopes his vote will make a difference.

“I believe it is truly my civic duty,” Mooney said.

Lakisha Hill rushed out of the community center with a smile on her face. It’s her first time voting after being in prison for the past nine years.

“I’m thankful,” Hill told the Banner. “Prison is prison. And your words don’t matter, and they don’t mean anything to anyone when you’re in there.”

Hill lost nine years of her life while on the inside. Having the chance to finally use her voice for something that matters means a lot to her.

“When you’re able to stand up and come in and vote after somebody told me, as a Black woman, I couldn’t,” she said, “I’m telling everybody, everywhere. Come out and do your thing.”

— Eden Turner

37207 Dickerson Pike

Kevin Page, who has lived in the Parkwood Park area for more than a decade, said he came out to vote to “save the country.” Although he declined to elaborate, he said he hoped younger voters would turn out too. 

“You got very few rights in this country that don’t cost anything, you know?” he told the Banner after voting at the Parkwood Community Center. “If you follow anything that’s going on in the world then, yeah, you need to vote.” 

On the local level, Page said the biggest issue facing Nashville is transportation. 

“If you want to go downtown, if you drive your car down there what are you going to do?” he said. “People are paying $30 or $40 for an Uber just so they don’t have to find a place to park. But what if you’ve got doctors appointments and you have to go down there?” 

George Wallace, 87, who said he bought his house nearby in 1973, said he came out to vote because “it’s my duty.” 

Describing himself as an independent, he added “our politics would be a lot different if everyone would get out and vote.”

Shana Orr, another mid-morning Parkwood voter, said the economy and rising prices were at the top of her mind when she went to the polls. 

“Hopefully we can see some change that will affect people of the middle class that may be kind of struggling,” she said. 

The economy is connected to so many other issues she cares about, she said.  

“That’s kind of what everything stems from,” she said. “Even crime. When you can’t afford to live here and that results in poverty, a certain mindset and lack of opportunities. So it kind of goes hand in hand.” 

— Steven Hale

37013 Antioch

Mary E. Perkins, 87, has never missed an election. She called her son, Rossi Turner, the night before Election Day and told him that if he didn’t take her to vote, he couldn’t come to Thanksgiving. He drove her to the Southeast Community Center in Antioch the next morning and accompanied her to the polling site in her wheelchair. 

“So I’m happy,” she said. “It made my day.” 

Perkins and Turner were both critical of the Trump administration and the high cost of gas and groceries.

“Ethical policy has to come into place,” Turner said. “When you go into the store and crackers cost $4.59, and you see others who have gained $2.1 billion dollars as president, you want to try to change the dynamics in the legislature where no more bills of nonsense can be passed.”

Some voters at the Southeast Community Center who told the Banner they have historically voted Republican criticized the Trump administration’s policies. Michael Johnson is a former Trump supporter. Now he says he’s “sick of President Trump.” 

“I feel like he’s trying to kill us all with the Iran war,” he said. “So something has to be done. We have to have somebody who could fight back President Trump.” 

Marco Andreini voted Republican in 2024. He believes there has been a “massive structural change” in U.S. foreign policy through efforts to increase domestic manufacturing.

“We’re constantly giving money to each other rather than investing in ourselves,” Andreini said, adding that tariffs “promote self reliance” while creating “short term hurt.”

Still, he raised some criticisms, including affordability, the war in Iran and the lack of housing construction for new homebuyers. 

“A lot of things that have been promised have not been fulfilled,” he said, “so I’m not a joyful voter.”

— Lillian Avedian

37208 North Nashville

Emilee Smart and her husband Jordan Smart voted at the Morgan Park Community Center Tuesday afternoon.

Both regular voters, Emilee said that she was raised to vote and thinks “it’s important to exercise your rights,” even though there was no specific issue compelling her this year.

Jordan agreed, but noted that he was moved to vote by the economy and affordability.

Kenneth Moore also voted at Morgan Park, because he wants to see the state be more progressive. A union worker and West Coast native, Moore said he thinks Tennessee could treat people better.

“It’s really just about the welfare of people,” Moore said. “Nashville is pretty much what I’m used to, but then something will happen and I’m like hey something’s not right here.”

Moore first voted in 2000 and then did not begin voting again until 2016. Now he says it’s too important not to.

Other voters noted wanting to oppose certain candidates, including Travis Gray, who said he thinks Sen. Marsha Blackburn will win the governor’s race, but he showed up to vote against her.

“I really despise Marsha Blackburn,” Gray said when asked what issues motivated him. “I feel like she’s gonna be elected but I want to make it difficult.”

Another young voter declined to comment on why she voted as she walked by, but then turned around and shouted “the short answer is because everything is so f—ed up.” 

— Sarah Grace Taylor

37211 Glencliff/South Nashville

A steady trickle of voters visited the Coleman Park Community Center in the early morning hours before the start of work.

Kevin, an executive pastor at a South Nashville church, lives a few blocks from the community center. He makes it a point to vote in every election. He recently visited Oslo, Norway, and was impressed by how the city had de-emphasized highways and incentivized walking and biking. In Woodbine with I-24 nearby, drivers often cut through the neighborhood speeds, which scares him as a parent to two young children. He would like to see elected officials address road infrastructure and sidewalks. 

“I think Nashville is a great place to live, a great place to be,” he said. “I wish it was a cleaner city. I wish it was a safer city. I wish we had better ways to get around the city — not just public transit, but even the way the roads are built and designed.

“And I would love to see a great plan for how we continue to develop Nashville for the next 50 years and not just try to solve problems for the here and now. And to give some critical thought to the development of the city so that all know, ‘Hey, in 2050, this is where we’re going.’”

Zhyan grew up in the neighborhood, attending Wright Middle School and Glencliff High School. “It’s time for a change,” she said when asked why it was important to vote today. Her kids are in local schools, and she was headed to a parent-teacher conference after voting. She said the quality of public education is an important issue in her Kurdish community. 

Manny, an account executive for Nashville SC, also grew up in Nashville. He is an alumnus of LEAD Cameron and University School of Nashville. His parents live in the area around the community center, and his commute is a short drive up Nolensville Pike. 

“I know a lot of people are out there complaining of how things are, but they’re not out here voting,” he said. “So I think it’s kind of the first step. There’s nothing we can do if we’re not voting. That’s how change starts first.”

Manny emphasized the minimum wage, and a living wage, as issues he hoped elected officials would address. 

“I’ve been fortunate enough where I’m in a good career path right now,” he said. “But there are others that are suffering.”

— Mikeie Honda Reiland

37218 Bordeaux

There was a line around 7 a.m. to vote at the Bordeaux branch of the Nashville Public Library. But by noon, poll worker Carole Childress said that was the biggest crowd they’d seen yet. 

“This is generally a slow precinct. A lot of the voters early vote, or cast absentee votes,” she told the Banner.

Childress has lived in the same house in Bordeaux for 45 years. She’s been working elections since about 2010, when she found a card about the opportunity. So she tried it out, and has been doing it ever since. 

“I liked what I did, and the lady I worked with liked what I did, so she had me do early voting. And that was a real rush,” she said.

On Tuesday, she had to redirect a lot of folks to their correct polling locations — which she said is common for this spot. 

One voter, in his rush to his car to relocate and cast his ballot, told the Banner he votes in every election, and this time, it’s change that motivated him. About five voters Tuesday morning outside of the library said the same. 

Like Quincy Thomas, who added that gas and food prices were a big motivator this year. He voted, he said, “so that I can eat.”

“I’ve got to make an impact,” said Lucy, who declined to share her last name — a 25-year-old from Colorado who has lived in Bordeaux for three years. 

Shannda Hamer, 34, grew up in Bordeaux and has been voting ever since she turned 18. 

“My parents always made it a point to vote,” she said. 

She cast her ballot early for this year’s midterm elections, but was spending time at the library on Election Day. Asked what issue was top of mind for her this year, she said healthcare.

“Just for the simple fact that I have a lot of health issues. And wages,” she added. “Things going on with jobs… Because it’s hard out here.”

Bordeaux resident Erin Mosow said it was especially important for her to vote this year. 

“I’m concerned about the direction the country is going,” she told the Banner.

As for what she hopes elected officials address after this election, she answered: “Making this a more inhabitable place for families as opposed to corporations. We’re giving all these tax breaks to people to film movies here. I’d like that money back in public schools.”

And one voter rushing to leave after voting turned around and said, “You really want an answer from me? I don’t want Marsha Blackburn in there.”

She laughed all the way to her car.

— Andrea Tudhope

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