Shape
What's Next.
A candidate takes the first step. A community builds the momentum. Citizen Activate brings Davidson County residents together to find new leaders, open paths to the ballot, and power the campaigns shaping our future.
Scroll to shape your world
What Citizen Activate does
Turn your civic spark into action.
Decisions about potholes, zoning, and school policy happen close to home. We make elected roles easier to understand, filing requirements easier to follow, and your first volunteer shift easier to find.
Find the role that fits
Explore every office in plain language: what the role does, the realistic time commitment, the pay, and where your experience could make a difference.
Turn paperwork into a plan
Follow the candidate packet, nominating petition, Political Treasurer form, and key dates in the right order, with official links at every step. You can file with confidence and keep technical mistakes from standing in your way.
Make your first move this weekend
Join the Super Volunteer track for door-knocking and phone-bank training, events for current candidates, and a punch card that can lead to a dinner invitation and consideration for candidate or volunteer development support.
The county
Know your county. Find your place to lead.
Nashville and Davidson County share one consolidated Metro government. Five smaller cities within the county also have their own boards and mayors, so some residents can pursue seats in two local governments. Select a marker or choose your Council district to explore.
Stylized map. County boundary from the U.S. Census (simplified); the river is drawn approximately. Council district lines are not shown here: use Metro’s district lookup (opens in a new tab) for the official boundaries.
Metropolitan Government
One Metro. Many ways to serve.
City and county merged in 1963, so most local offices are countywide or district-based Metro seats. About 715,000 residents, one Mayor, a 40-member Council, and a slate of independently elected countywide officers.
- Countywide: Mayor, Vice Mayor, 5 at-large Council members
- Independently elected: Sheriff, District Attorney, Public Defender, Assessor, Trustee, County Clerk, Register of Deeds, court clerks, judges
- District-based: 35 Council districts, 9 School Board districts
Not sure which one you live in? Look it up by address (opens in a new tab).
Who can run
Bring what you know. Build from there.
For most offices you need to be a citizen, a Tennessee and Davidson County resident, a registered voter, and old enough. A handful of seats need a law license. The rest is a decision.
Legal basics for most offices
- U.S. citizen
- Tennessee resident and Davidson County resident (district seats: live in the district)
- Registered voter
- Minimum age of 18, 21 or 25, depending on the office
Office-specific rules and charter requirements are on the Election Commission’s candidate page (opens in a new tab).
The eligibility key
No specialized credential identified.
Must meet legal requirements: age, residency, voter registration.
A specific professional credential is legally required.
No license required, but substantial relevant experience is strongly advantageous.
Where could you lead?
Pick the line that sounds most like you.
Best-fit offices
Every role, at a glance
| Office | Eligibility | Time | Annual pay | What they do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mayor | Statutory | 50–70+ hrs | $209,898 | Chief executive of Metro. Sets the agenda, oversees departments, proposes the budget, vetoes legislation. |
| Vice Mayor | Statutory | 20–30 hrs | $27,977 | Presides over Council meetings, breaks tie votes, serves as Council member at-large. |
| Council Member (District) | Statutory | 15–25 hrs | $25,615 | Represents district constituents. Votes on laws, budget, zoning. Serves on committees. |
| Council Member (At-Large) | Statutory | 20–30 hrs | $25,615 | Represents all county residents. Votes on laws, budget, zoning. Serves on committees. |
| General Sessions Judge | License required | 40–60 hrs | ~$219,000–$225,000 | Civil and criminal cases, traffic, misdemeanors, preliminary hearings. Law license required. |
| Circuit Court Judge | License required | 40–60 hrs | ~$219,000–$225,000 | Felonies, civil cases over $25,000, family law. Law license required. |
| Chancery Court Judge | License required | 40–60 hrs | ~$219,000–$225,000 | Divorces, wills, trusts, property disputes, contracts. Law license required. |
| Juvenile Court Judge | License required | 40–60 hrs | ~$219,000–$225,000 | Juvenile matters. Law license required. |
| Sheriff | Statutory | 50–70+ hrs | ~$275,000+ | Runs the Sheriff’s Office, jail operations and court security. Not Metro Police. |
| District Attorney General | Statutory | 50–70+ hrs | ~$215,000–$225,000 | Prosecutes criminal cases on behalf of the state. |
| Public Defender | Experience-heavy | 50–70+ hrs | $235,000 | Provides legal defense to defendants who cannot afford a lawyer. |
| Assessor of Property | Statutory | 40–55 hrs | ~$185,000 | Assesses property values for tax purposes. |
| Trustee | Statutory | 40–55 hrs | ~$185,000 | Collects property taxes, manages tax funds. |
| Metro Board of Public Education | Experience-heavy | 15–25 hrs | $20,635 | Sets policy for Metro Schools. Does not manage day-to-day operations; the Council controls the budget. |
| County Clerk | Statutory | 40–55 hrs | ~$185,000 | Keeps official records, issues licenses (vehicle, business, marriage). |
| Register of Deeds | Statutory | 40–50 hrs | ~$185,000 | Records real estate documents, mortgages, liens. |
| Juvenile Court Clerk | Statutory | 40–50 hrs | ~$185,000 | Manages juvenile court records and filings. |
| Super Volunteer (no election needed) | Open entry | Your hours | Unpaid | Door knocking, phone banks, poll watching, the punch card. You can start this weekend. |
Showing all 18 rows.
From the Quick Book
Know the calendar. Build toward the ballot.
Nearly every term is four years; judges serve eight. That puts each office on its own election cycle. Find your year, then work backward from the qualifying deadline. Your campaign can start taking shape today.
- November 3, 2026
General election
Governor, Congress and the General Assembly are on the ballot; check your sample ballot on GoVoteTN. Registration closes 30 days out and early voting runs about three weeks before. Volunteer shifts count toward the punch card.
- August 2027
Metro election: Mayor, Vice Mayor, all 40 Council seats
Metro elections are an accessible entry point into local politics. Qualifying happens in the spring; a September runoff follows for any seat without a majority winner. Confirm dates on the Election Commission calendar (opens in a new tab).
- 2028
Assessor · School Board (odd districts)
The Assessor and odd-numbered School Board districts are up. The Assessor follows the governor’s cycle instead of the county-office cycle.
- 2030
Countywide officers, judges and the DA
Sheriff, Public Defender, Trustee, County Clerk, Register of Deeds, the court clerks and the even-numbered School Board districts come back around; General Sessions judges and the District Attorney finish eight-year terms the same year.
Every office, every term
| Office | Term | Election years |
|---|---|---|
| Mayor | 4 years | 2027, 2031, 2035 |
| Vice Mayor | 4 years | 2027, 2031, 2035 |
| Metro Council Members | 4 years | 2027, 2031, 2035 |
| General Sessions Judges | 8 years | 2030, 2038 |
| District Attorney General | 8 years | 2030, 2038 |
| Public Defender | 4 years | 2026, 2030, 2034 |
| Sheriff | 4 years | 2026, 2030, 2034 |
| Assessor of Property | 4 years | 2024, 2028, 2032 |
| Trustee | 4 years | 2026, 2030, 2034 |
| School Board, even districts | 4 years | 2026, 2030, 2034 |
| School Board, odd districts | 4 years | 2024, 2028, 2032 |
| Register of Deeds | 4 years | 2026, 2030, 2034 |
| County Clerk | 4 years | 2026, 2030, 2034 |
| Criminal Court Clerk | 4 years | 2026, 2030, 2034 |
| Circuit Court Clerk | 4 years | 2026, 2030, 2034 |
Vacancies can create unexpired-term elections in between. Source: Citizen Activate Quick Book, 2026.
Make it official, one move at a time.
- Confirm the district you live in
District seats require residency in the district. Check on GoVoteTN (opens in a new tab) or Metro’s district lookup (opens in a new tab) before anything else.
- Pick up the candidate packet and nominating petition
At the Davidson County Election Commission (opens in a new tab). The packet has the requirements, the calendar and the forms.
- Appoint a treasurer and file the Political Treasurer form
Before you raise or spend a dollar. It is also what unlocks your account on the campaign finance portal (opens in a new tab).
- Collect signatures and file the petition by the qualifying deadline
Where you file depends on the office: county, state or party. The Secretary of State’s where-to-file guide (opens in a new tab) settles it.
- Report on time, every time
Disclosures on Metro’s portal; state offices and larger campaigns also report to the Registry of Election Finance (opens in a new tab).
Candidate & volunteer punch card
Sixteen punches.
One dinner.
Every punch is a real thing you turn up to: a training, an event, a meeting of the office you are eyeing, a vote. Finish the card and you are invited to the year-end dinner, and considered for candidate and super volunteer development support from GOP Nashville.
0of 16 punched
Tap a punch to mark it off. Your marks stay in this browser. The official card is claimed by emailing photo evidence.
Two ways in
Choose your way forward.
Running and volunteering both grow local leadership. Pick the path that fits you now and send one email. We’ll share your next step, connect you with someone who knows the process, and keep the important dates on your radar.
Path one
Run
Ready to explore what local leadership could look like for you? Get an office-by-office reality check, a filing plan, and an introduction to people who have already taken the leap.
- A one-on-one conversation about which seat fits
- The packet, petition, and treasurer form in the right order
- Trainings and events that count toward the punch card
Path two
Volunteer
Start this weekend and build your civic skills alongside people who care. Get trained in door-knocking and phone banking, take shifts with active campaigns, and attend two meetings of the office you care about. Then keep going:
- Complete 16 punch-card actions and email the photos
- Earn an invitation to the year-end dinner and ceremony
- Consideration for candidate and volunteer development support
Prefer email? go@citizenactivate.com