Cars driving along Highway 70 South in Bellevue honked as protestors lined the street and held signs that read "No kings in America," "Vote Early!" and "Hate won't make America great again."
A No Kings group demonstrated at Red Caboose Park during the crisp autumn morning of Oct. 17, in an effort to encourage voters to head to the polls.
Retired Nashville public school teacher Michele Sheriff said she is concerned about accountability.
"The federal government is out of control. There are no guardrails. The Republican-led Congress isn't holding the president accountable," Sheriff said. "Our vote is our voice, and I think its important to use that vote in all elections. It's never been as important in my lifetime as it is now. This is one of the most
consequential elections as far as our democracy goes."
Sheriff was drawn out of the 5th Congressional District when Republican lawmakers redrew Tennessee's Congressional maps at the request of President Donald Trump in an effort to give the GOP an advantage in the midterms. She said redistricting should be handled by a nonpartisan committee, not controlled by either political party.
"It sends a message that Republicans feel like they have to cheat to win," Sheriff said.
Longtime Bellevue resident Byron Van Buren held a sign outside the Bellevue Public Library voting location that read "Honk 4 Democracy!" He was greeted by cheerful beeps from cars turning in and passing by.
Van Buren said he wants to see President Donald Trump removed from office because he is "stupid, evil and corrupt."
"He's the worst president we've ever had. He's tanking the economy," he said. "The war is stupid. The tariffs are stupid. Changing the lakes' [names] are stupid. The ballroom is stupid," Van Buren said. "His priority is enriching himself and his friends and his family — and it's not any of us. He lied. He lied to his MAGA people..."
He acknowledged Tennessee is "a red state and a Trump state," but is encouraged that support for the president in Tennessee has fallen. He felt it was important to come out and express his views.
"I'm not expecting any great changes," he said. "But it's not like the last election. There's going to be more people that have defected from the Republican Party."
Juliana Ericson came to protest wearing a cardboard crown that read "no kings." She's concerned that votes be counted properly and honestly.
"I'm disappointed. I want to honor the head of our country, but I don't respect him anymore," Ericson said.
Ericson said she plans to support Democrat Jerri Green in the governor's race because she does not trust Republicans to make life affordable. She said members of her church recently tried to survive for a week on a food stamps budget.
"I know how to cook and make things from scratch — and I couldn't do it. I could not afford fruit and fresh vegetables," Ericson said. "I bought dried beans, the basic stuff. It's hard. Things are just too expensive. And the people at the top don't seem to understand. They're all so rich that they don't understand."
If early voter turnout holds, Tennessee is on track to outpace turnout in the last open governor's race in 2018. During the first three days of early voting, just under 264,300 people cast ballots statewide — an average of about 88,000 per day, according to the Tennessee Division of Elections. In 2018, a total of 2.24 million total people voted, including 626,900 who voted early. For comparison, during the 2024 presidential election, just under 3.1 million votes were cast, and 2.13 million people voted early.
Vivian Jones covers state government and politics for The Tennessean. Reach her at vjones@tennessean.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: No Kings rallygoers in Nashville encourage voters to head to polls
