Blackburn leads Putnam County as voters back all three amendments

Election Night Update | Nov. 3, 2026 |  9:11 p.m. CST

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. — Republican Marsha Blackburn led Putnam County’s vote for governor by 3,943 votes Tuesday night, and a majority backed each of Tennessee’s three proposed constitutional amendments. All 18 Putnam County precincts were included in the county election commission’s 8:43 p.m. CST report. The results are unofficial.  
 

Statewide, 45 of Tennessee’s 95 counties had reported governor’s race results at the time of this update, up from 35 in the previous update. The amendment outcomes will also be decided statewide. 

Governor’s race in Putnam County

Candidate | Votes | Share
Marsha Blackburn (R) | 12,276 | 51.86%
Jerri Green (D) | 8,333 | 35.20%
David Hatley (I) | 2,431 | 10.27%
Lauren Pinkston (I) | 406 | 1.72%
Other candidates and write-ins | 226 | 0.95%

Blackburn led in 16 of 18 precincts. Democrat Jerri Green led in Northeast and University. The closest precinct was Capshaw, where Blackburn led Green by 26 votes, 975 to 949.

Putnam County votes yes on all three amendments

Amendment  Yes | No | Yes share
Amendment 1 | 16,059 | 6,467 | 71.29%
Amendment 2 | 15,338 | 6,680 | 69.66%
Amendment 3 | 17,520 | 4,848 | 78.33%

“Yes” received a majority on each amendment in all 18 precincts. Amendment 3 drew the strongest support countywide. The closest precinct result was on Amendment 2 at University, where “yes” led by six votes, 331 to 325.

Turnout rises from 2022

Putnam County counted 23,838 ballots, nearly 4,000 more than in the 2022 governor’s election. Turnout rose 4.60 percentage points, from 40.29% to 44.89%. Early in-person voting drove the increase, rising from 8,577 ballots in 2022 to 12,769 this year, while Election Day voting declined by 125 ballots.

Governor’s election year | Putnam County ballots cast | Turnout
2014 | 15,769 | 37.53%
2018 | 24,594 | 57.72%
2022 | 19,870 | 40.29%
2026, unofficial | 23,838 | 44.89%

The county counted just 756 fewer ballots than in 2018, when turnout reached 57.72%. Putnam County had 53,100 registered voters this year, compared with 42,612 in 2018.

Highlands Insider will publish updated election results in our Friday print and online editions.