Tennessee election: When does polling end? What could the results mean for Republicans ahead of 2026 midterms?

Voters in Tennessee's 7th Congressional District are today casting their votes to fill up a seat in the US House of Representatives which was left vacant after Republican Mark Green resigned from his post.

Tennessee election: When does polling end? Who are the candidates?

Polling ends at 7 pm CT (8:00 pm ET) on 2 December (local time). Gates of all polling centres will be closing by 7 pm. However, those who have reached the queue on or before 7 pm will be permitted to cast their votes.

There are around 466,000 registered voters who will be casting their votes in the election. Some of the major cities that fall under the 7th Congressional district are Clarksville, Franklin and some ares of Nashville.

The nominee for the Republican Party is Matt Vap Eps, who hopes to capitalise on the voter base of Mark Green.

On the other hand, competing from the Democratic Party is Aftyn Behn.

Polling station location, mail-in ballot details

Voters can locate their polling stations from a website called GoVoteTN. Once you enter your address on this website, it will show you the nearest polling station.

Mail-in ballots are accepted in Tennessee, but they have to sent in by election day, i.e., Tuesday. If they do not reach the election offices by end of polling on Tuesday, these votes would not be considered eligible.

What could the result mean for Republicans?

Although the seat was vacated by a Republican, experts are predicting a tight race this time around. Emerson College conducted a poll to check which candidate is the most favoured, and Republican Matt Vap Epps edged out his opponent by 2 percentage points.

The poll also found that 5 per cent of voters are undecided, and their votes could swing the election in favour of either candidate.

If the Republican Party loses, it will be an embarrassment for them since Tennessee is traditionally a red state. After Zohran Mamdani's win in New York despite Trump and his backers voicing their strong opinions against him, a Democratic win in a red bastion will surely make leaders of the Republican Party wonder if their fate in electoral boxes has taken a dent due to Trump's falling approval ratings, with the 2026 midterms being around the corner.