Election administration in Tennessee

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Election Information
Voter registration
Early voting
Absentee/mail-in voting
All-mail voting
Voter ID laws
State poll opening and closing times
Time off work for voting
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Election administration encompasses a state's voting policies, procedures, and enforcement. These include voter identification requirements, early and absentee/mail-in voting provisions, voter list maintenance methods, and more. Each state's voting policies dictate who can vote and under what conditions.

THE BASICS

Tennessee permits online voter registration.

Tennessee permits early voting.

Tennessee requires an excuse for absentee/mail-in voting.

In Tennessee, poll opening times vary by county. Polls close at 7 p.m. CST.

Tennessee requires photo identification to vote.

Tennessee holds semi-closed primary elections.

Tennessee has an online tool for verifying voter registration and checking the status of absentee/mail-in ballots.

Below, you will find details on the following election administration topics in Tennessee:

• Poll times
• Voter registration
• Early and absentee/mail-in voting policy
• Voter identification requirements
• Provisional ballot rules
• Primary election type
• Time off work for voting
• Electioneering
• Voting rules for people convicted of a felony

• Voter list maintenance
• Post-election auditing
• Election administration authorities
• Noteworthy events
• Election policy ballot measures
• Election policy legislation
• Ballot access
• Redistricting
• Contact information

Poll times

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.

Voter registration

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.

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.

Automatic registration

See also: Automatic voter registration

Tennessee does not practice automatic voter registration.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Tennessee has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

See also: Same-day voter registration

Tennessee does not allow same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

To register to vote in Tennessee, you must be a resident of the state. Click here for more information about determining residency in Tennessee.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Tennessee does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, providing false information on an application "is a felony punishable by not less than two (2) years nor more than twelve (12) years imprisonment or a fine of $5,000 or both."

Tennessee law requires election officials to conduct check of voter registration applicants' citizenship status. Section 2-2-141 of the Tennessee Code states the following:

“	‘’’2-2-141. Proof of citizenship for registering to vote.’’’ (a) The coordinator of elections shall compare the statewide voter registration database with the department of safety database to ensure non-United States citizens are not registered to vote in this state. The coordinator of elections is authorized to compare the statewide voter registration database with relevant federal and state agencies and county records for the same purpose. If evidence exists that a particular registered voter is not a citizen of the United States, the coordinator of elections shall notify the county election commission where the person registered to vote that the registered voter may not be a citizen of the United States. (b) After receiving such notice, the county election commission shall send a notice to the registered voter inquiring whether the individual is eligible to be registered to vote. Any registered voter who receives the notice shall, within thirty (30) days of the receipt of such notice, provide proof of citizenship to the county election commission.	”
—Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-2-141

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The Tennessee secretary of state’s office allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.

Early and absentee/mail-in voting policy

Early voting

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.

Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to 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.

Absentee/mail-in voting

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:

“

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.

”

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.

Returning absentee/mail-in ballots

See also: Mail ballot collection and return laws by state

Absentee ballots must be returned by mail before polls close on Election Day. State law does not specify who may return a voter's ballot.

Twenty states allow anyone chosen by the voter to return a ballot on the voter's behalf, with certain exceptions, while 16 states allow anyone with certain relationships to the voter to return the voter's ballot. Four states allow only the voter to return the voter's ballot, with certain exceptions, and two states required voters to return their ballots by mail. Eight states and D.C. do not specify who may return ballots.

Drop box availability

Tennessee does not include drop boxes as a valid method to return an absentee by-mail ballot.

Signature requirements and cure provisions

Absentee ballots are mailed with an inner envelope printed with an affidavit that must be signed by the voter. Election administrators compare the signatures on the absentee ballot application, the absentee ballot envelope (affidavit), and the voter’s registration record. Voters must be immediately notified in writing if their ballot is rejected. Tennessee does not have a cure provision, a law allowing voters to correct a problem with the absentee ballot.

Tennessee law states the following:

“

If upon receipt of any absentee ballot the administrator determines that the ballot is not entitled to be cast under this title, the administrator shall mark the absentee ballot envelope "Rejected," write the reason for the rejection on the envelope, and sign it. The absentee ballot envelope, unopened, shall be placed in a container of rejected absentee ballots for the election. Notice of the rejection shall immediately be given in writing to the voter.

”

Thirty-three states have laws that include cure provisions, while 17 states do not. One state, Pennsylvania, allows counties to establish a cure process.

Was your absentee/mail-in ballot counted?

Use the Voter Registration Lookup tool provided by the Tennessee secretary of state's office to check the status of your absentee ballot.

Voter identification requirements

See also: Voter ID in Tennessee

See also: Voter identification laws by state

Tennessee requires voters to present photo identification while voting.

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

• 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:

• 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:

• 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). Visit the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security's Voter Photo ID page for more information.

Click here to learn more about the background of Tennessee's law.

Thirty-five states require voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day. Of these states, 23 require voters to present identification containing a photograph, and 12 accept other forms of identification. The remaining 15 states do not require voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day.

Valid forms of identification differ by state. In certain states that require voters to provide identification, there may be exceptions that allow some voters to cast a ballot without providing an ID. To see more about these exceptions, see details by state. Commonly accepted forms of ID include driver's licenses, state-issued identification cards, and military identification cards.

Provisional balloting for voters without ID

Voters who do not have ID while voting may cast provisional ballots. See below for provisional ballot rules.

Provisional ballot rules

Voters in Tennessee are given provisional ballots, or ballots requiring additional steps or information before they can be counted, under the following circumstances.

(1) If the voter’s "eligibility cannot be determined by the computer signature list or by examination of the permanent registration records on file with the county election commission or an election official asserts that the individual is not eligible to vote," the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.

(3) If the voter has requested an absentee ballot but arrives to vote at the polls, the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.

(3) If the voter is unable to present proper identification, the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.

(4) If the voter’s eligibility to vote is challenged, the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.

Was your provisional ballot counted?

A provisional ballot is rejected in the following circumstances:

• If the voter is not registered to vote in the precinct in which the voter voted; or
• If the voter already voted in a different precinct.

Primary election type

See also: Primary elections in Tennessee

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Tennessee utilizes a closed primary process; a voter must either be registered with a political party or must declare his or affiliation with the party at the polls on primary election day in order to vote in that party's primary.

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Time off work for voting

In Tennessee, employers must provide employees with three hours paid time off work if the employees' working hours do not begin three or more hours after the opening or the polls or end three or more hours before the closing of the polls. Employers may specify when employees take time off work, and employees must apply for time off by noon the day before voting begins:

“

(a) Any person entitled to vote in an election held in this state may be absent from any service or employment on the day of the election for a reasonable period of time, not to exceed three (3) hours, necessary to vote during the time the polls are open in the county where the person is a resident. (b) A voter who is absent from work to vote in compliance with this section may not be subjected to any penalty or reduction in pay for such absence. (c) If the tour of duty of an employee begins three (3) or more hours after the opening of the polls or ends three (3) or more hours before the closing of the polls of the county where the employee is a resident, the employee may not take time off under this section. (d) The employer may specify the hours during which the employee may be absent. Application for such absence shall be made to the employer before twelve o'clock (12:00) noon of the day before the election.

”

Twenty-eight states require employers to grant employees time off to vote. Within these 28 states, policies vary as to whether that time off must be paid and how much notice must be given.

Electioneering

Tennessee law says that within a 100 foot perimeter of polling places “the display of campaign posters, signs or other campaign materials, distribution of campaign materials, and solicitation of votes for or against any person, political party, or position on a question are prohibited. No campaign posters, signs or other campaign literature may be displayed on or in any building in which a polling place is located.”

Voting rules for people convicted of a felony

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:

“

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.

”

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:

“

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.

”

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

“

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).

”

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.

Voter list maintenance

All states have rules under which they maintain voter rolls—or, check and remove certain names from their lists of registered voters. Most states are subject to the parameters set by The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). The NVRA requires states to make efforts to remove deceased individuals and individuals who have become ineligible due to a change of address. It prohibits removing registrants from voter lists within 90 days of a federal election due to change of address unless a registrant has requested to be removed, or from removing people from voter lists solely because they have not voted. The NVRA says that states may remove names from their registration lists under certain other circumstances and that their methods for removing names must be uniform and nondiscriminatory.

When names can be removed from the voter list

Tennessee law authorizes election officials to remove the names of voters from the registered voting list if an individual:

• requests in writing to be removed from the list
• confirms in writing that they moved outside of their voting jurisdiction
• changes their name (with the exceptions of marriage or divorce)
• dies
• is convicted of a felony
• is determined to be a non-US citizen
• is ordered to be removed by a court
• remains on the inactive voter list through two consecutive general elections.

Inactive voter list rules

If local election officials, using National Change of Address data and other address verification resources, determine that a voter has moved outside of their voting jurisdiction, they are to send the voter a forwardable confirmation notice and place them on an inactive voter list. Tennessee law does not allow inactive voters to be included in a county’s official number of registered voters. If the voter does not respond to correct the information and does not vote in the next two general elections, they are to be purged from the voter registration list.

The Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC)

See also: Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC)

According to its website, ERIC is a nonprofit corporation that is governed by a board of member-states. These member states submit voter registration and motor vehicle registration information to ERIC. ERIC uses this information, as well as Social Security death records and other sources, to provide member states with reports showing voters who have moved within their state, moved out of their state, died, have duplicate registrations in their state, or are potentially eligible to vote but are not yet registered. ERIC's website describes its funding as follows: "Members fund ERIC. New members pay a one-time membership fee of $25,000, which is reserved for technology upgrades and other unanticipated expenses. Members also pay annual dues. Annual dues cover operating costs and are based, in part, on the citizen voting age population in each state."

Twenty-five states are participating members in the ERIC program. Thirty-four states and the District of Columbia have joined and participated in ERIC at some point.

As of July 2025, Tennessee was not participating in the ERIC program.

Post-election auditing

Tennessee state law requires post-election audits. County election commissions automatically audit "at least one precinct for small counties and at least five precincts for large counties. ... If after the automatic audit there is a variance of more than 1% between the unofficial election results of the top race and the automatic audit, a hand count of 3% of the precincts is conducted." The audit begins before 1:00 p.m. on the day after the election.

Post-election audits check that election results tallied by a state's voting system match results from paper records, such as paper ballots filled out by voters or the paper records produced by electronic voting machines. Post-election audits are classified into two categories: audits of election results—which include traditional post-election audits as well as risk-limiting audits—and procedural audits.

Typically, traditional post-election audits are done by recounting a portion of ballots, either electronically or by hand, and comparing the results to those produced by the state's voting system. In contrast, risk-limiting audits use statistical methods to compare a random sample of votes cast to election results instead of reviewing every ballot. The scope of procedural audits varies by state, but they typically include a systematic review of voting equipment, performance of the voting system, vote totals, duties of election officials and workers, ballot chain of custody, and more.

Forty-six states and the District of Columbia require some form of post-election audit by law, excluding states with pilot programs. Of these, 39 states and the District of Columbia require traditional post-election audits, while three states require risk-limiting post-election audits, and three states require some other form of post-election audit, including procedural post-election audits.

Election administration authorities

State election officials

In Tennessee, the Tennessee Secretary of State is the chief election official. Responsibility for overseeing and administering elections at the state level is shared between the secretary of state and the State Election Commission.

The secretary of state is a constitutional officer elected by the general assembly for a four-year term.

The state election commission consists of seven members made up four members nominated by the majority party and three members nominated by the minority party in the general assembly.

Local election officials

---

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.

---

Noteworthy events

2021

On June 12, 2020, several Tennessee organizations, including the Memphis A. Phillip Randolph Institute and the Tennessee State Conference of the NAACP, filed a motion in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee for a preliminary injunction that would bar enforcement of a Tennessee law requiring first-time voters to vote in person. The plaintiffs cited the COVID-19 pandemic as a justification for the injunction. On September 9, 2020, Judge Eli Richardson granted the plaintiffs' motion for a preliminary injunction, temporarily suspending the first-time voter restriction. The state appealed that decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. On October 19, 2020, a three-judge panel of the Sixth Circuit unanimously upheld the lower court's order. The Sixth Circuit panel included Judges Karen Moore, Julia Gibbons, and Chad Readler. Writing for the court, Gibbons said, "[Disrupting] the new rules at this point poses significant risk of harm to the public interest in orderly elections. In this instance, there is no substantial harm to [election officials] in continuing to comply with rules they are currently following."

However, on June 22, 2021, the same three-judge panel, at the conclusion of full briefing and oral argument, overturned the lower court's order. The panel split 2-1 with Gibbons and Readler forming the majority. In the court's opinion, Gibbons wrote:

“	[Plaintiffs'] motion for a preliminary injunction [is] inextricably tied to the COVID-19 pandemic, a once-in-a-century crisis. In their memorandum in support of their motion for a preliminary injunction before the district court, plaintiffs recognized that "these are not ordinary times." While plaintiffs claimed that the first-time restriction burned all first-time voters simply by making it more difficult for them to vote, plaintiffs' central concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic ... Fortunately, because of advancements in COVID-19 vaccinations and treatment since this case began, the COVID-19 pandemic is unlikely to pose a serious threat during the next election cycle.	”
—Judge Julia Gibbons

Moore dissented, writing, "At the very least, COVID-19 is 'capable' of continuing to burden this country through the next general election, and thus it is reasonable to expect that ... voters ... will find themselves in a similar position to the one that they found themselves in on November 2, 2020. ... At least until we are certain that COVID-19 will not be a significant threat during the next election cycle, the majority's threadbare proclamations are not enough to moot this case."

2018

On October 25, 2018, Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins, a state court judge, ordered the Shelby County Election Commission to let voters with incomplete registrations cast regular ballots on Election Day after providing complete registration information. The commission had previously said that individuals voting on Election Day with incomplete registrations would be required to cast provisional ballots owing to logistical concerns with completing registrations at polling places on the day of the election. Jenkins said, "The harm to the applicant [of casting a provisional ballot instead of a regular ballot] far outweighs the harm to the Shelby County Election Commission. Voter registration is a key component to the election process." The suit that gave rise to the ruling was initiated by the Tennessee Black Voter Project and the NAACP. Bob Dul, an attorney for the Tennessee Black Voter Project, praised the ruling: "We can all agree that our democracy is strongest when everyone who is eligible can participate. I think this ruling is a huge victory for the citizens of Shelby County and we hope it will lead to even more civic engagement in Tennessee." Linda Phillips, Shelby County's election administrator, said, "We are extremely disappointed by the court’s ruling." In testimony earlier in the day on October 25, Phillips said, "It's possible under the format [attorneys for the Tennessee Black Voter Project are] suggesting for fraud to be committed."

Election policy ballot measures

See also: Elections and campaigns on the ballot and List of Tennessee ballot measures

Ballotpedia has not tracked any ballot measures relating to election and campaign policy in Tennessee as of this time.

Recent legislation related to election administration in Tennessee

The table below lists bills related to election administration that have been introduced during (or carried over to) the current legislative session in Tennessee. The following information is included for each bill:

• State
• Bill number
• Official bill name or caption
• Most recent action date
• Legislative status
• Sponsor party
• Topics dealt with by the bill

Bills are organized by most recent action. The table displays up to 100 results. To view more bills, use the arrows in the upper-right corner. Clicking on a bill will open its page on Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker, which includes bill details and a summary.

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Ballot access

See also: Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Tennessee

In order to get on the ballot in Tennessee, a candidate for state or federal office must meet a variety of state-specific filing requirements and deadlines. These regulations, known as ballot access laws, determine whether a candidate or party will appear on an election ballot. These laws are set at the state level. A candidate must prepare to meet ballot access requirements well in advance of primaries, caucuses, and the general election.

There are three basic methods by which an individual may become a candidate for office in a state.

1. An individual can seek the nomination of a state-recognized political party.
2. An individual can run as an independent. Independent candidates often must petition in order to have their names printed on the general election ballot.
3. An individual can run as a write-in candidate.

This article outlines the steps that prospective candidates for state-level and congressional office must take in order to run for office in Tennessee. For information about filing requirements for presidential candidates, click here. Information about filing requirements for local-level offices is not available in this article (contact state election agencies for information about local candidate filing processes).

Redistricting

See also: Redistricting in Tennessee

Redistricting is the process by which new congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn. Each of Tennessee's nine United States Representatives and 132 state legislators are elected from political divisions called districts. United States Senators are not elected by districts, but by the states at large. District lines are redrawn every 10 years following completion of the United States census. The federal government stipulates that districts must have nearly equal populations and must not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity.

Tennessee was apportioned 9 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2020 census, the same number it received after the 2010 census. Click here for more information about redistricting in Tennessee after the 2020 census.

HIGHLIGHTS

Following the 2020 United States Census, Tennessee was apportioned nine congressional seats, which was unchanged from the number it had after the 2010 census.

Tennessee's House of Representatives is made up of 99 districts; Tennessee's State Senate is made up of 33 districts.

In Tennessee, congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn by the state legislature.

State process

See also: State-by-state redistricting procedures

In Tennessee, both congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn by the state legislature. These lines are subject to veto by the governor.

The Tennessee Constitution requires that state Senate districts "preserve counties whole where possible." State statutes mandate that no more than 30 counties may be split across districts. Furthermore, state law requires that state legislative districts be contiguous. There are no such requirements in place for congressional districts.

Contact information

Election agencies

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

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• Republican Party Secretary of State primaries, 2026
• Republican Party Attorney General primaries, 2026
• State legislative Republican primaries, 2026

See also

• Election laws and legislation in Tennessee
• State of Election Administration Legislation Reports
• Factors affecting the speed of ballot counting and delivery of unofficial election results
• Voting in Tennessee
• Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Tennessee
• Redistricting in Tennessee

Elections in Tennessee

• 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

• Tennessee Secretary of State - Elections
• GoVoteTN