Voter Registration in Tennessee

Voter Registration in Tennessee

Exercising your right to vote gives you a say in how your local, state, and federal governments are managed.

Voter Eligibility in Tennessee

You're eligible to vote in Tennessee if:

• You're both a U.S. citizen and a Tennessee resident.
  • See the state's guidelines for determining residency, including for homeless persons and property-owning non-residents.
• You will be 18 years old or older on the next election date.
• You register no later than 30 days before the upcoming election.
  • NOTE: Mail-in applications must be postmarked at least 30 days before the election.

Felons and Restored Voting Rights

As a felon, you can register to vote if you've restored your voting rights.

Tennessee provides the Certificate of Restoration of Voting Rights (Form SS-3041). You cannot complete this form yourself; an agent with the authority to provide the required information—such as a probation or parole officer or criminal court clerk—must complete the form and submit it to your local county election commission office.

NOTE: Completing and submitting the form doesn't mean your voting rights are automatically restored. You can be denied for a variety of reasons. Some of the most common include first-degree murder, rape, and treason crimes.

Learn more at Tennessee's Restore Voting Rights page.

Register to Vote in Tennessee

You can register to vote in person and by mail.

First, complete the Mail-In Application for Voter Registration (Form SS-3010). This form is good for both in-person and by-mail registration.

Next, either mail your form to your local county election commission (there is space on the form to enter the mailing address) or visit one of the following locations:

• County clerk's office.
• Public libraries.
• Register of Deeds office.
• Department of Health (WIC program).
• Department of Human Services.
• Department of Mental Health.
• Department of Safety (Motor Vehicles Division).
• Department of Veteran's Affairs.

When you'll receive your voter registration card depends on your county.

Military & Overseas Voter Registration

Military members, their dependents, and overseas U.S. citizens can submit an absentee ballot by email or mail through the UOCAVA .

You can also register and receive a ballot by completing a Voter Registration and Absentee Ballot Request Federal Post Card Application (Form 76) through the Federal Voting Assistance Program. This form is typically a request for absentee voting; however, if you are currently not registered, it will be treated as a request for temporary voter registration.

Once you've completed the application, send to the address of your local county election commission.

If the election commission has a fax machine in its office, you may fax the application.

The application must be received by the election commission no earlier than January 1st of the election year UNLESS the election is fewer than 90 days after January 1st. In that case, it must be received no earlier than 90 days prior to the election and no later than 10 days prior.

NOTE: Typically, people who register to vote by mail must appear in person the first time they vote; however, this regulation is waived for military members and their dependents and overseas U.S. citizens with permanent TN residences. Once you are no longer eligible for this exemption, you must vote in person.

For more information on military and absentee voting, please see the TN SOS website.

Absentee Registration & Voting

If you're out of state and can't register in person, you can register to vote by mail. See Register to Vote in Tennessee above for instructions and deadline information.

Additionally, you can vote absentee if you're still out of state (or will be) on Election Day, and qualify as an absentee voter (for example, you're away attending college, you can present a physician's statement that you're unable to leave your home, or you're simply out of your county or state for the entire day).

An alternative to absentee voting is early voting, which means you can cast your ballot in person if you'll be in the county within the early voting time period.

Learn more about voting absentee and early voting—such as who qualifies, the process to request a ballot, and deadline requirements—at the state's sections on absentee voting and early voting.

Name or Address Changes

If you have moved but stayed in the same county, you can change your name and/or address on your voter registration by completing and signing the Mail-In Application for Voter Registration (Form SS-3010) and:

• Returning it to your local election commission office via mail, fax, or e-mail, or in person.
  • You must attach a document that has your scanned signature.

Either way, you must apply no later than 5 days before the election; otherwise, you can't vote.

If the voting period has already started, you do have the option vote early at any early voting station within between 20 days and 5 days of the election. You'll be able to update your address and vote early in the same visit.

If you wait until election day to update, you'll have to complete an affidavit before you can vote, and you'll have to go to your new polling location or a central location designated by the election commission office.

Moved to Another County?

If you're changing your address because you moved to another county, you must register to vote with that county. Your voter registration doesn't move with you.

Duplicate TN Voter Registration Cards

Lost your voter registration card? You can apply for a duplicate voter registration card at your local county election commission. You must make your application in writing.

The state provides an online Voter Registration Information Lookup to help you with your voter registration details.