Primary Rules
How Tennessee's Primary Works
Tennessee uses a Open Primary system
Open Primary
Any registered voter can vote in any party's primary, regardless of their own party affiliation or registration status.
Voter file data: L2 Data · Registration counts: Tennessee Secretary of State · Updated May 16, 2026
Tennessee Voter Registration
& Party Affiliation Statistics
Total Registered
4,343,951
Most Active Primary Party
Independent/Other (48.12%)
Independent / NPP
48.12%
Primary Type
Open Primary
At a Glance
Tennessee at a Glance
Key voter registration statistics · Updated 2026
Registered Voters
4,343,951
across 95 counties
Independent / NPP
48.12%
of registered voters
2024 Turnout
57.9%
of eligible voters
Primary Participation
Primary Ballot Participation by Party
Tennessee does not register voters by party. The breakdown below is modeled from recent primary ballot history.
Democratic18.23%
Republican33.66%
Independent/Other48.12%
| Party | Registered Voters | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
Democratic | 791,799 | 18.23% |
Republican | 1,462,053 | 33.66% |
Independent/Other | 2,090,099 | 48.12% |
Note: Tennessee does not collect party affiliation at voter registration. These figures are modeled from L2 voter-file analysis of which primary ballot each voter pulled in recent cycles — they reflect primary participation, not party registration.
Turnout
Voter Turnout in Tennessee
How many eligible Tennessee residents actually vote?
Recent Elections
| Election | Turnout | Voted |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 General | 57.9% | 3,080,000 |
| 2022 General | 33.3% | 1,756,397 |
| 2020 General | 59.2% | 3,065,000 |
| 2024 Presidential Primary | 16.4% | 711,112 |
| 2024 State Primary | 13.9% | 637,500 |
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