As municipal elections in Tennessee fast approach, groups are making an urgent push for more voter education in the Nashville metro area.

More than 4.5 million Tennessee voters could cast ballots in the Metropolitan General Election on Aug. 3.

Debbie Gould, president of the League of Women Voters of Tennessee, said so far, early voting turnout has picked up in some polling locations but not in others.

She added some Nashville residents are understandably undecided, especially about the mayor's race.

"There still are a fair number of people who are really uncertain who they want to vote for, which is, I think, reflects the fact that we have a lot of candidates who bring a lot of qualifications to the table," Gould explained. "I think the fact that we have, as of now, 11 candidates, is making it a tough choice for some people."

The early voting period for the primary ends July 29. Gould noted in case a runoff election is needed, it is already scheduled for Sep. 14. She pointed out voting early offers the flexibility of evening and Saturday hours, and allows people to avoid Election Day crowds and perhaps shorten their wait times at the polls.

Gould said Nashville's five at-large city council seats have 21 contenders, including two incumbents and several former district council members. Of the 35 district council seats, 16 have no competing incumbents. After Rep. Bill Beck's unexpected death this summer, there is a primary for his House District 51 seat, and House District 52 is also up for a vote.

"Which has been served by Rep. Justin Jones," Gould noted. "As you recall, he was one of the 'Tennessee Three' who was removed from office this spring, and he is in a race against Laura Nelson for House District 52."

The League of Women Voters and other organizations have held forums and televised town hall debates to help voters keep up with the candidates. Gould emphasized voters have expressed multiple concerns, from what they perceive as state legislative "overreach" in Nashville, to homelessness.

"There have been a number of issues -- and some of them again, going directly to some of the concerns that we have as a city -- about affordable housing, for example, and transit, and certainly the size of Metro Council," Gould outlined.

She added the League's website Vote411.org is where anyone can check their voter registration status, find their polling place and see the specific races on their ballot, along with candidate information.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.


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An executive order signed by President Donald Trump to dramatically overhaul voting laws is unlikely to stand up in court, according to an election law expert. But some states may adopt its provisions to gain political favor.

David Becker, executive director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, called the order an "executive power grab" meant to dictate how all 50 states will run their future elections. He noted that the president's order would require proof of citizenship on the national voter registration form and require the invalidation of ballots received after Election Day.

"I think it's very, very unlikely that this will take legal effect," he said. "It may be that some states adapt procedures, if they're friendly to the president, to comply with the EO, but it's very unlikely that federal government will be able to enforce many aspects of this EO, if not all of the aspects."

The order also would give the Elon Musk-led team known as the Department of Government Efficiency access to state voter rolls to check for "consistency with federal requirements." Becker said he expects voting-rights groups and state attorneys general to file challenges.

The order threatens to withhold federal funding from states that don't comply with its directives ahead of the 2026 midterms. Becker said that would come with a hefty price tag.

"It's creating an entirely new bureaucracy in every single state," he said. "The entire price tag of this entire executive order, if it were to be upheld, is well into the billions - and possibly tens of billons - of dollars."

The Trump administration has said the EO would prevent non-Americans from voting in federal elections by requiring a government-issued ID or a passport, but not a birth certificate, as proof of citizenship. More than half of Americans don't have a passport - including many in areas of the South and Midwest that voted for Trump in the 2024 election.

Support for this reporting was provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.


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In these divisive times, nonprofit groups are stepping up to boost civic engagement by facilitating intergenerational dialogue.

The Creating Citizens initiative from Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California brings older adults and young people together to discuss important civic issues.

In January, the forum topic was people's thoughts about the 2024 election. The next forum, in September, will address climate change.

Nesreen Ezzeddine, education program manager with Commonwealth Club World Affairs, helps facilitate the events.

"The political climate is uncertain and so, meaningful dialogue is more crucial than ever," said Ezzeddine, "kind of bringing this idea of the idealism of youth and also the experiences of older generations."

She said the club plans to sponsor three intergenerational dialogue events next fall and spring.

The idea for the dialogues started with college students, who said they didn't plan to vote because they were disappointed that the two major candidates - Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden - were 78 and 81 years old.

Commonwealth Club Vice President of Education Lauren Silver said at the same time, older adults are concerned about this feeling of disconnection among young people.

"Without an intergenerational divide being addressed, we're still all talking in our generational echo chambers," said Silver, "and we're not going to be able to cure or heal the political system or the divisiveness in our society."

Heather Smith is the manager of partnerships for the San Francisco nonprofit YouthTruth, which facilitates dialogue between students and educators.

"When students feel brought into these conversations, when they see their opinions and ideas turn into actions, we see them as engaged students," said Smith, "and engaged citizens as they get older."

A recent YouthTruth survey reveals many students don't think schools prepare them to be civically engaged.

It found 68% agree that helping others is important, but only 44% feel like they can make a difference.

High school seniors will soon be counting down the days until graduation and in Minnesota. But students from future graduating classes could get a special credential if they make an extra effort to improve their civics knowledge and skills.

A legislative committee takes up a bill Monday to create a "Civic Seal" program, as nearly a dozen other states have done. Minnesota has already bolstered its civics education requirements but the bill's supporters said it goes further by adding the seal to diplomas of students who show real interest in civic engagement.

Esha Vibhakar, a junior and student advocate at Wayzata High School, said it is a hard thing to do in a hostile political environment.

"We have a big fear of being wrong, or people having different opinions from us," Vibhakar explained. "My peers and people my age tend to shy away from the conversations that are hard."

Backers stressed it would not be a mandate for schools but noted by offering the Civic Seal, students can gain confidence in learning about how democracy works. They could earn the seal through extra projects, like attending city council meetings or volunteering for a nonprofit. The bill has bipartisan support.

Sen. Steve Cwodzinski, DFL-Eden Prairie, one of the measure's sponsors, is a retired civics teacher. In today's world, with so much misinformation on social media, he feels it is important to push civics knowledge higher on the priority list. He cited research showing for every $50 the nation spends on STEM curriculum, five cents is spent per student for civics learning.

"I'm not trying to dismiss the hard work that STEM advocates have done the last 15 or 20 years, but I'm just trying to do my best to reverse those numbers," Cwodzinski emphasized. "I just want kids to be more civil and know how to conduct a public discourse."

A coalition raising awareness about the movement said the Civic Seal would also send a message to colleges and employers that a student has a lot more to offer than just academic success. It cited other research showing robust civic education correlates with higher voting rates and increased community involvement.


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