⏰ It's time to vote!

Good morning, everyone! We're starting off a little chilly, but there's a beautiful Wednesday ahead of us.

• Today's weather: Sunny with a high near 62.

🎂 Happy birthday to Axios Nashville member Anthony Perez!

Today's newsletter is 738 words — a 3-minute read.

Starting today, Nashville voters can cast their ballots for the Nov. 5 election at 13 early voting locations.

Why it matters: This election includes races that touch every level of government. In addition to the presidential race, which is sure to draw crowds, voters will decide on a sweeping overhaul of the city's transportation system.

• Other races will determine Middle Tennessee's representatives in Congress and at the state Capitol.

⏲️ Early voting lasts from 8:30am-4:30pm today. In-person early voting will continue through Oct. 31.

• Check out the full voting schedule online. Be sure to review the list of early polling places, as some locations have changed.
• A new location has been added at the Lentz Public Health Center on Charlotte Avenue.

The big picture: The sample ballot illustrates the full scope of the election.

• Our election guide includes an overview of the major races to watch. We'll update it with new stories as we move closer to Nov. 5.

🚦 The referendum: Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell has proposed a $3.1 billion plan to transform the city's transportation network, which will appear on the ballot as a referendum. The plan would raise the sales tax by 0.5% to fund improvements.

• Supporters are seeking to win over skeptics who sank the 2018 transit referendum. They have stressed that O'Connell's plan will benefit residents who don't use public transit through upgrades like improved traffic light technology.
• An opposition group is critical of raising the sales tax, saying it puts an undue burden on poorer residents.

🇺🇸 U.S. Senate: U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, the Republican incumbent, will face Tennessee state Rep. Gloria Johnson, a Democrat.

🐘 U.S. House: This is the second election cycle since state lawmakers redrew Tennessee's congressional map to convert Nashville from a safe Democratic district into three majority-Republican districts.

• As a result, three Republican House members who represent the Nashville area enter the election as apparent favorites in districts 5, 6 and 7.

🏛️ The statehouse: Democrats are hopeful they can chip away at the Republicans' supermajority in the Tennessee House.

• The Nashville Banner reports Democratic groups are targeting as many as nine races.
• Republicans are sure to maintain a tight grip on power. They are seeking to flip Democratic seats as well.

Read our full guide ... Read Axios' national election coverage

More than 50% of Americans think our democracy is "under attack" in the run-up to the Nov. 5 election, according to a new poll from the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy.

Why it matters: The poll is the latest indication of the anxious mood of the electorate in the waning days of the presidential campaign.

• In fact, only 10% of poll respondents don't believe our democracy is in danger.

What they're saying: The Unity Poll is meant to offer "regular snapshots of Americans' sense of national political unity and their faith in the country's democratic institutions," Vanderbilt professor John Geer said in a statement.

The big picture: Vanderbilt's Unity Poll also found that Vice President Kamala Harris holds a modest 2-3 point lead nationally over former President Trump.

Between the lines: SSRS conducted the Vanderbilt Unity Poll on its Opinion Panel Omnibus Platform. The poll was conducted from Sept. 20-23 and included responses from 1,030 adults across the nation.

• The margin of error is +/-3.8 percentage points.

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• Two men were arrested and charged with criminal homicide in connection with Saturday's shooting on Jefferson Street that killed one person and injured nine others. (Tennessean)

• Metro workers removed structures that officials said were dangerous at the long-running Tent City homeless encampment. (WSMV)

• Jelly Roll announced plans for a new bar downtown. (Nashville Business Journal, subscription)

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To make the Titans' lousy start to the season even more painful, former Tennessee star Derrick Henry is dominating for the Baltimore Ravens.

Why it matters: Henry's contract with Baltimore is less expensive than the deal the Titans gave his replacement.

Flashback: The Ravens signed Henry during this past offseason to a two-year, $16 million deal, with the chance to earn $20 million. By comparison, the Titans signed running back Tony Pollard to a three-year contract worth $24 million.

Catch up quick: Henry has been a juggernaut for the Ravens.

• Henry has notched 704 yards on 119 carries for Baltimore. That's 5.9 yards per attempt, compared to 5.6 yards per attempt for Titans quarterback Will Levis.
• Quarterbacks, of course, should outgain running backs.

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Take a journey through the heart of Nashville with "Nashville Cocktails," the ultimate guide to the drinks that embody the soul of our iconic city.

Plus, plus, plus: Use code AXIOS at checkout to get an additional 15% off your purchase of any other City Cocktails books.

Our picks:

🎶 Nate's song of the day is "Goin' Back to Indiana" by the Jackson 5.

💕 Adam cannot recommend the romantic comedy series "Nobody Wants This" highly enough.

This newsletter was edited by Jen Ashley.