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Tennessee | Voting Guide
Voting Guide
Tennessee
Registration Deadlines and Election Dates
Voter Registration Deadline: 30 days before Election Day
Please visit the following link for dates of upcoming 2023 local and municipal elections: bit.ly/TN23ElectionsByDate
Official Election Websites
More election information available at:
sos.tn.gov/elections/voter-information
Online voter registration available at:
Mail-in PDF voter registration form available at:
Register at School or Home
Students have a decision about where to register to vote.
You have a right to register to vote at the address you consider the place where you live, whether that is your family's home or the place where you attend school. You should update your registration anytime this home address changes.
You may only be registered and vote in one location.
What Type of ID Do I Need to Register?
Tennessee’s online and mail-in voter registration forms ask for your full 9-digit Social Security Number. Be sure to provide this number when registering to vote. Additionally, the online voter registration form requires a Tennessee driver's license or ID number.
What Type of ID Do I Need to Vote?
When voting at the polls, either during early voting or on Election Day, voters must provide a government issued photo identification. Any of the following IDs may be used, even if expired:
Tennessee driver's license or photo identification license;
U.S. passport;
Photo ID issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security;
An employee ID card issued by the state of Tennessee or the U.S. government;
Photo ID issued by the federal or Tennessee state government;
Military photo ID;
Tennessee handgun carry permit card with a photo.
For more information about Tennessee's voter ID requirements, please visit:
Where Do I Vote?
Make a plan. Look up your voting site and hours at:
How Can I Vote?
By Mail
Tennessee requires an excuse to vote by mail. Voters who qualify to vote by mail include:
Voters that will be outside the county where they are registered during the early voting period and on election day;
Full-time students at accredited colleges and universities located outside their county of registration, and their spouses;
Voters over 60 years of age
Voters with physical disabilities who are assigned to an inaccessible polling place;
Military members and U.S. citizens located overseas;
For a full list of qualifying excuses, visit: sos.tn.gov/products/elections/absentee-voting
Applications for absentee ballots must be mailed, emailed, or faxed to your county election commission office so that they are received no later than 7 days before Election Day.
An application form is available at:
Completed absentee ballots must be returned by mail so that they are received by the county election commission by the closing of the polls on Election Day. You cannot hand deliver it.
Although first time voters in their county of registration may register online or by mail, they must ultimately vote in-person unless they are on the permanent absentee voting list or are a participant in the address confidentiality program.
Early In-Person
Any registered voter may vote early in person. Early in-person voting is usually available starting 20 days before an election and ends 5 days before an election.
For polling place locations and hours, visit:
web.go-vote-tn.elections.tn.gov/.
Election Day
Polling place opening times vary by county. All polls close at 8 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Central Standard Time. If you are in line by the closing time, then you have the right to vote.
Common Questions/Concerns
Registering to Vote Does Not Affect Your:
Federal Financial Aid
Where you register to vote will not affect federal financial aid such as Pell Grants, Perkins or Stafford loans, or your dependency status for FAFSA.
Status as a Dependent on Your Parents’ Taxes
Being registered to vote at a different address from your parents does not prevent them from claiming you as a dependent on their taxes.
Tuition Status
Being deemed out-of-state for tuition purposes does not prevent you from choosing to register to vote in your campus community.
Will registering to vote in Tennessee affect my driver’s license or car registration?
As a new resident of Tennessee, you may have to obtain a Tennessee driver’s license and update your car’s registration, regardless of whether you register to vote there. For more information, you may wish to contact Tennessee Driver Services.
Fair Elections Center and Campus Vote Project intend the information contained herein to be used only as a general guide. This document should not be used as a substitute for consultation with a licensed Tennessee legal professional.
Last updated April 2023