In early voting, the "no" vote took a 2-to-1 lead. Shortly after polls closed on May 1, the pro-transit campaign issued a statement conceding defeat. In total, over 124,000 votes were cast in the election, of which nearly 80,000 were against the transit plan. Votes in favor of the referendum carried majorities in only five of the 35 Metro Council districts, and most support was concentrated in downtown and close-in neighborhoods that had experienced recent gentrification. The result was blamed on the choice of an off-election with low turnout, as well as inconsistent messages from the pro-transit campaign that was managed by a controversial local public relations firm with ties to past mayoral administrations. Mayor Briley stated that the city government would submit a revised plan after the IMPROVE Act's mandatory one-year waiting period, likely in 2020. A new referendum is proposed to take place in 2024. Pro-transit campaigners called the result a "fatal blow" to the city's bid for Amazon HQ2, for which Nashville had made the 20-city shortlist. No Tax 4 Tracks, the opposition PAC, called the election an "exceptional moment in Nashville history" and stated that the group would remain active in shaping a future transit plan.