Voting in Tennessee

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Election Information
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Voter registration
Early voting
Absentee/mail-in voting
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State poll opening and closing times
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## Contents

* 1 Voter registration
* 1.1 Eligibility and registration details
* 2 In-person voting
* 2.1 Poll times
* 2.2 Voter identification
* 2.3 Early voting
* 3 Absentee/mail-in voting
* 4 Local election officials
* 5 Voting rules for people convicted of a felony
* 6 Contact information
* 6.1 Election agencies
* 7 Explore election legislation with Ballotpedia
* 8 Ballotpedia's election coverage
* 9 See also
* 9.1 Elections in Tennessee
* 10 External links
* 11 Footnotes

The policies governing voter participation are enacted and enforced primarily at the state level. These policies, which include voter identification requirements, early voting provisions, online voter registration systems, and more, dictate the conditions under which people cast their ballots in their respective states.

This article includes the following information about voting policies in Tennessee:

* Voter registration details, including deadlines and eligibility requirements.
* In-person voting details, including identification requirements, poll times, and early voting provisions.
* Absentee/mail-in voting deadlines and rules.
* Details about voting rules for people convicted of a felony.
* Contact information for election agencies.

Click here for more information about election administration in the state, including voter list maintenance policies, provisional ballot rules, post-election auditing practices, and additional election policy context.

For information on elections happening this year, click here.

Do you have questions about your elections? Looking for information about your local election official? Click here to use U.S. Vote Foundation’s election official lookup tool.

## Voter registration[edit]

### Eligibility and registration details[edit]

Check your voter registration status here.

To register to vote in Tennessee, an applicant must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of Tennessee, and at least 18 years old by the day of the next election.[1]

Prospective voters can register online, by mailing a voter registration application to the county election commission, or in person at a variety of locations including the county clerk’s office, the county election commission office, public libraries, and numerous state agencies. Registration must be completed 30 days before an election.[1]

## In-person voting[edit]

### Poll times[edit]

See also: State poll opening and closing times

Each county election commission must determine the opening time for polling places in the county at least 15 days before an election, with certain requirements based on county population. All polling places close at 7 p.m. CST (8 p.m. EST). The polls must be open for a minimum of 10 consecutive hours, but not more than 13 hours. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[2][3]

### Voter identification[edit]

See also: Voter identification laws by state

Tennessee requires voters to present photo identification while voting.[4]

The following were accepted forms of identification as of October 2025. Click here for the Tennessee Secretary of State's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.

Voters can present the following forms of identification, even if expired:[5]

* Tennessee driver’s license with 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 photo

First time voters who register by mail or online can not use an expired ID. If they do not have a currently valid ID, they may use the following to vote at the polls:[5]

* A copy of a current utility bill
* Bank statement
* Government check
* Paycheck
* Other government document that shows the voter’s name and address

The following voters are exempt from the photo ID requirements:[5]

* Voters who vote absentee by mail
* Voters who are residents of a licensed nursing home or assisted living center and who vote at the facility
* Voters who are hospitalized
* Voters with a religious objection to being photographed
* Voters who are indigent and unable to obtain a photo ID without paying a fee

Voters can obtain a free photo ID from the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security at any participating driver service center. In order to receive an ID, a voter must bring proof of citizenship (such as a birth certificate) and two proofs of Tennessee residency (such as a voter registration card, a utility bill, vehicle registration or title, or bank statement).[6]

### Early voting[edit]

See also: Early voting

Tennessee permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

Early voting begins 20 days before an election and ends five days before an election, except for presidential primaries, when early voting closes seven days before the primary. Early voting is held at county election commission offices and satellite voting locations.[7]

Early voting allows citizens to cast their ballots in person at a polling place before an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting. Alabama, Mississippi, and New Hampshire do not offer no-excuse early voting.

## Absentee/mail-in voting[edit]

See also: Absentee/mail-in voting

Only certain voters may vote absentee by-mail in Tennessee. According to the Tennessee secretary of state's office:[8]

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You can vote absentee by-mail if you fall under one of the following categories:

* You are sixty (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. A physician’s statement is not required to check this box.
* You are the caretaker of a person who is hospitalized, ill, or disabled. A physician’s statement is not required to check this box.
* 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 a member of the military or are an overseas citizen.
* You are on the permanent absentee list.

NOTE: If you reside in a licensed nursing home, assisted living facility, home for the aged, or an independent living facility on the same property as a licensed nursing home, assisted living facility, or home for the aged inside your county of residence, you may not vote absentee by-mail. Election officials will come to the facility to vote eligible residents, or you may vote during early voting or on Election Day.[9]

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Absentee ballot applications may not be submitted more than 90 days before an election and must be received by the county election commission no later than 10 days before an election. The completed ballot must be returned by mail and received by the county election commission by the close of polls on Election Day.[8]

## Local election officials[edit]

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Do you need information about elections in your area? Are you looking for your local election official? Click here to visit the U.S. Vote Foundation and use their election official lookup tool.|

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## Voting rules for people convicted of a felony[edit]

See also: Voting rights for people convicted of a felony

In Tennessee, people convicted of certain crimes never regain the right to vote. According to the secretary of state's website: [10]

“  |

You cannot have your voting rights restored if you were convicted of any of the following permanently disqualifying felonies during these time periods:

* Between July 1, 1986, and June 30, 1996:
* First-degree murder, aggravated rape, treason, or voter fraud
* Between July 1, 1996, and June 30, 2006:
* Murder, rape, treason, or voter fraud
* On or after July 1, 2006:
* Murder, rape, treason, voter fraud, certain felonies involving bribery, misconduct involving public officials and employees, or interference with government operations, and sexual offenses or violent sexual offenses that are felonies where the victim was a minor.[9]

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Individuals convicted of other felonies lose their right to vote while subject to a sentence. If the conviction occurred before May 17, 1981, then the individual can register to vote normally after the completion of their sentence. If the conviction occurred after that date, then the individual must apply for a court order to have their voting rights restored.

According to the secretary of state's website:[10]

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To get a court order, you must meet all the following:

* You were either pardoned, discharged from custody by reason of service, or granted a certificate of final discharge from supervision from parole or another authority;
* You do not owe any restitution;
* You do not owe court costs, unless a court finds that you are indigent at the time of filing the petition for restoration of voting rights; and
* You are current in all child support obligations.[9]

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Once a court order is granted, an individual must take the following steps before their rights are restored:[10]

“  | If the court order was issued on or after May 2, 2025:

* You need to give the Administrator of Elections a certified copy of the court order. They will send it to the Coordinator of Elections for verification.

If the court order was issued before May 2, 2025:

* You need to give the Administrator of Elections:
* A certified copy of the court order; and
* A sworn statement saying you have not been convicted of a disqualifying felony, you do not owe restitution or court costs, and you are current on all child support obligations (if any).[9]

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Click here to view the secretary of state's resource on the restoration of voting rights.

Voting rights for people convicted of a felony vary from state to state. In the majority of states, people convicted of a felony cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter.[11]

## Contact information[edit]

### Election agencies[edit]

Seal of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission

See also: State election agencies

Individuals seeking additional information about election administration in Tennessee can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.

Tennessee County Elections Commission

Click here for a list

Tennessee Secretary of State, Elections Division

312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue
7th Floor, Snodgrass Tower
Nashville, Tennessee 37243-1102
Phone: 615-741-7956
Toll free: 1-877-850-4959
Email: tennessee.elections@tn.gov
Website: http://sos.tn.gov/elections

Tennessee Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance

312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue
WRS Tennessee Tower, 26th Floor
Nashville, Tennessee 37243
Phone: 615-741-7959
Email: registry.info@tn.gov
Website: https://www.tn.gov/tref/

U.S. Election Assistance Commission

633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 301-563-3919
Toll free: 1-866-747-1471
Email: clearinghouse@eac.gov
Website: https://www.eac.gov

## Explore election legislation with Ballotpedia[edit]

* Try Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker

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## See also[edit]

* State of Election Administration Legislation Reports
* Voter ID in Tennessee
* Election administration in Tennessee
* Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Tennessee

### Elections in Tennessee[edit]

* Tennessee elections, 2026
* Tennessee elections, 2025
* Tennessee elections, 2024
* Tennessee elections, 2023
* Tennessee elections, 2022
* Tennessee elections, 2021
* Tennessee elections, 2020

* Tennessee elections, 2019
* Tennessee elections, 2018
* Tennessee elections, 2017
* Tennessee elections, 2016
* Tennessee elections, 2015
* Tennessee elections, 2014

## External links[edit]

* Official state election website
* U.S. Vote Foundation election official lookup tool

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Tennessee Secretary of State, "Register to Vote," accessed July 15, 2025
2. ↑ LexisNexis, "Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-3-201," accessed July 15, 2025
3. ↑ LexisNexis, "Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-7-127," accessed July 15, 2025
4. ↑ Tennessee Secretary of State, "What ID is required when voting?" accessed October 8, 2025
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Tennessee Secretary of State, "Guide on ID Requirements when voting," accessed October 8, 2025
6. ↑ Lauderdale County Elections, "Voter ID Requirements," accessed October 8, 2025
7. ↑ Tennessee Secretary of State, "How to Early Vote - In Person," accessed July 16, 2025
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Tennessee Secretary of State, "Guide to Absentee Voting," accessed July 15, 2025
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Tennessee Secretary of State, "Restoration of Voting Rights," accessed July 2, 2025
11. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Felon Voting Rights," April 6, 2023

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