Politics
Fairgrounds racing ban measure clears signature review, setting up 2027 vote
Davidson County election officials certified 47,679 signatures for a proposed charter amendment barring racing at The Fairgrounds Nashville. The measure exceeded the stated legal minimum despite thousands of rejected signatures and objections alleging forgery and improper collection.
A proposed Nashville charter amendment to prohibit racing at The Fairgrounds Nashville has cleared the signature review required to move toward a public vote in 2027, despite opponents’ allegations of forged signatures and other irregularities.
The Davidson County Election Commission certified 47,679 signatures at its Oct. 16 meeting. The stated threshold was 40,194 valid signatures, equal to 10% of active Davidson County voters as of June. Petition opponents disputed how many signatures were required, arguing that a different reading of the Metro Charter would put the threshold near 47,000.
Organizers submitted more than 75,000 signatures last month. Election officials rejected 27,567, according to the figures reported at the meeting. The commission’s administrator of elections, John Richardson, did not provide an exact breakdown of why signatures were disqualified.
The review took a 70-person team more than 12,500 work hours, with staff and poll workers working two shifts. The team completed its work just before midnight Thursday, within the 30-day period the Metro Charter gives the commission to review petitions.
Richardson told commissioners the review was intended to be “timely, consistent, impartial and documented.” The commission accepted the petition after hearing from supporters and opponents, including several Metro councilmembers and former city officials.
Opponents’ attorney Michael Cottone alleged that forged signatures had not been adequately investigated. Petition opponents also said their own checks found people who did not recognize their names on the petition. Those claims were raised at the hearing; the commission relied on its review process and certified the petition.
Supporter Mike Kopp, a music-industry veteran, told commissioners the effort was about giving residents a chance to decide the Fairgrounds’ future. He said petition backers want voters to consider returning the speedway site to green space.
The dispute is also backed by well-funded interests on both sides. Supporters of the ban have ties to Nashville SC owner John Ingram, while the group urging residents not to sign has received funding in part from NASCAR operator Marcus Smith. The proposal’s certification advances the fight over racing and public land at the Fairgrounds, but legal disputes could still affect the next steps before a 2027 referendum.