Voter Registration
Registration Deadline: A qualified voter must be properly registered no later than 30 days before the election. The election commission office will process any by-mail voter registration form that has been postmarked at least 30 days before the election.
Voter Registration Qualifications
Age: Must be 18 years or older on or before the date of the election
Citizenship: Must be a United States citizen
Residency: Must be a resident of Tennessee. View Guidelines for Determining Residency and special considerations for Homeless Persons Residency and Non-resident Property Owners.
Felony Convictions: If you have been convicted of a felony, your eligibility to register and vote depends upon the crime you were convicted of and the date of your conviction. If your conviction made you ineligible, you may regain your eligibility if your conviction has been expunged or if you have had your voting rights restored, unless you were convicted of a crime that rendered you permanently ineligible to vote. For more information, click here.
Obtaining a Voter Registration Form
Online: Online Voter Registration Link
In person: Pick up voter registration applications in person at the following locations:
-County Election Commission Offices
-County Clerk’s Offices
-Public Libraries
-Register of Deeds Offices
Or during a transaction with one of the following agencies:
-Department of Health (WIC program),
-Department of Human Services
-Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
-Department of Mental Health
-Department of Safety (motor vehicles division)
-Department of Veterans Affairs
By mail/ in writing: Download and complete the voter registration application and mail it to your county election commission. Federal law requires first time voters who register by mail to present one of the following: A current photo identification with voter’s name and photo OR If the photo identification is expired, the voter must also present one of the following: a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document that shows the voter’s name and address.
Verifying Your Voter Registration Status
Online: Voter Registration Verification
ABSENTEE BALLOT & EARLY VOTING QUALIFICATIONS
To vote by mail, a registered voter must fall under one of the following categories:
-You are 60 years of age or older.
-You will be outside the county where you are registered during the early voting period and all day on Election Day.
-You are hospitalized, ill or physically disabled and unable to appear at your polling place to vote (this includes persons who have underlying medical or health conditions which in their determination render them more susceptible to contracting COVID-19 or at greater risk should they contract it).
-You are the caretaker of a person who is hospitalized, ill, or disabled (this includes voters who care for or reside with persons who have underlying medical or health conditions which in their determination render them more susceptible to contracting COVID-19 or at greater risk should they contract it).
-You or your spouse are a full-time student in an accredited college or university outside the county where you are registered.
-You reside in a nursing home, assisted living facility or home for the aged outside your county of residence.
-You are a candidate for office in the election.
-You are observing a religious holiday that prevents you from voting in person during the early voting period and on Election Day.
-You serve as an Election Day official or as a member or employee of the election commission.
-You will be unable to vote in-person due to jury duty.
-You have a physical disability and an inaccessible polling place.
-You or your spouse possess a valid commercial drivers license (CDL) or Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) card and you will be working outside the state or county of registration during the open hours of early voting and Election Day and have no specific out-of-county or out-of-state address to which mail may be sent or received during such time.
-You are on the permanent absentee list.
Obtaining an Absentee Ballot
By mail, fax, or e-mail: A registered voter may request an application for a by-mail ballot no earlier than 90 days before the election and no later than seven (7) days before the election. You must submit a written request containing the information below to your local county election commission office by the seventh day before Election Day. You can use the absentee ballot request form to make sure all required information is provided.
You can submit your written request for an absentee ballot by mail, fax, or e-mail. If emailing your request, be sure the attached document contains the information below and your scanned signature:
-Name of the registered voter
-Address of the voter's residence
-Voter's social security number
-Voter's date of birth
-Address to mail the ballot
-The election in which the voter wishes to participate. If the election involves a primary, the political party in which the voter wishes to participate.
-Reason the voter wishes to vote absentee. If applicable, a copy of the CDL containing the CDL number or the TWIC card must be included in the voter’s request.
-Voter's signature
Military and overseas voting: Tennessee Military and Overseas Voting Information
Submitting an Absentee Ballot
You must mail your ballot in time for your county election commission to receive it no later than the close of polls on Election Day. You must return your ballot by mail (USPS, FedEx, UPS, etc.). Hand delivery or handing it to a poll worker during early voting or on Election Day is not permitted.
Early Voting
To vote early, a person must appear in person at either the county election commission office or at a satellite voting location opened by the county election commission. The early voting period typically begins twenty (20) days before an election and ends five (5) days before an election. The exception is for the Presidential Preference Primary, when early voting ends seven (7) days before the election. Although closed from voting on holidays, a person may vote early on any Saturday that falls during this time frame. In those instances in a city election where there is not any opposition on the ballot, there shall be no early voting period.
VOTER IDENTIFICATION
All voters must present a federal or Tennessee state ID containing the voter’s name and photograph when voting at the polls, whether voting early or on Election Day unless they qualify for an exemption.
Any of the following IDs may be used, even if expired:
-Tennessee driver license with your photo
-United States Passport
-Photo ID issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security
-Photo ID issued by the federal or Tennessee state government
-United States Military photo ID
-Tennessee handgun carry permit with your photo
College student IDs and photo IDs not issued by the federal or Tennessee state government are NOT acceptable. This includes county or city issued photo IDs, such as library cards, and photo IDs issued by other states.
For more information, click here.
GoVote TN Mobile App
State law allows voters to use the GoVoteTN app inside polling locations. Highlights of the app include:
-Early voting and Election Day polling locations and hours of operation
-Candidate list for upcoming election
-Ability to view and mark sample ballots for upcoming election
-Navigation to early voting and Election Day polling locations
-County election commission information
-Access online election results
You can download the application here.
Additional Information
Deciding how to vote: https://votesmart.org/
Verifying absentee ballot status: Click on this link
Verifying Polling Place: Click on this link
Problems with voting: you may file a General Complaint with the State Coordinator of Elections or the local county election commission office.
File a violation of Title III with the Title III HAVA Complaint Form.
