About

1. What is absentee voting?
Absentee voting is a voting method that involves voting on a day earlier than the actual election day. Tennessee has two forms of absentee voting:

1 - Absentee in person, which is better known as early voting, and
2 - Absentee by mail, which is commonly called by-mail voting.

Download an Absentee Ballot Request Form Here - email to [email protected]

2. Who may apply to vote absentee?
To vote as an early voter, a registered voter may vote without giving a reason during the established early voting period. The early voting period typically begins twenty (20) days before an election and ends five (5) days before an election with the exception of the Presidential Preference Primary which ends seven (7) days before election. In those instances in a city election where there is not any opposition on the ballot, there shall be no early voting period.

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

• You will be outside the county where you are registered during the early voting period and all day on Election Day.

• You or your spouse are a full-time student in an accredited college or university outside the county where you are registered.

• You are on the permanent absentee list (see question 4 below).

• You reside in a nursing home, assisted living facility or home for the aged outside your county of residence.

• You will be unable to vote in-person due to jury duty.

• You are sixty (60) years of age or older.

• You have a physical disability and an inaccessible polling place.

• 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). For a list of underlying health conditions that makes a person more susceptible, see https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html. A physician’s statement is not required to check this box.

• You are the caretaker of a person who is hospitalized, ill, or disabled (this includes caretakers for 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). For a list of underlying health conditions that makes a person more susceptible, see https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html. A physician’s statement is not required to check this box.

• You are a candidate for office in the election.

• You serve as an Election Day official or as a member or employee of the election commission.

• You are observing a religious holiday that prevents you from voting in person during the early voting period and on Election Day.

• 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.

3. What is the process for requesting the by-mail ballot?
To request a by-mail absentee ballot, mail, fax or email with an attached document which includes a scanned signature the following information directly to your local county election commission office:

• Name of the registered voter

• Address of the voter's residence

• Voter's social security number

• Voter's date of birth

• 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

A request that contains this information will be processed and a ballot will be mailed to the voter.

4. How can a person who possesses a valid commercial driver license (or the spouse of a person possessing a valid commercial driver license) or a transportation worker identification credential and who will be working outside the county of registration during the early voting period and all day on election day vote?
If the voter (or spouse) possesses a valid commercial driver license or the voter possesses a valid transportation worker credential card and does not have a specific out-of-county or out-of-state location to which mail may be sent or received during the early voting or election day hours, the voter may:

• Complete an application to vote absentee by mail at the voter's county election commission office; or

• Send a written request that contains the information discussed in the question above; and

• Provide a copy of the current commercial driver license which contains the commercial driver license number or a copy of the current transportation worker credential card;

• Provide the voter’s current residential address and any mailing address to which the ballot shall be mailed.

5. When may a registered voter apply to vote by mail?

A registered voter may request an application for by-mail ballot no earlier than ninety (90) days before the election and no later than seven (7) days before the election. To be processed for the next election, the application must be received by the election commission no later than seven (7) days before the election.

6. To be counted, when must the ballot be received by the election commission?
The county election commission must receive the ballot by mail no later than the close of polls on election day. Once the election commission issues an absentee by-mail ballot to a voter, the voter can only vote by mail.

7. What if I do not receive or ruin my ballot and can no longer use it?
If a voter notifies the election commission that he or she has “spoiled” a ballot or has not received the ballot, the election commission shall note on the records that subsequent supplies have been sent and supply the voter with subsequent voting supplies.

8. What if I do not provide all of the information required on the by-mail ballot application?
The county election commission will reject the application and return the application to the voter immediately by mail to be completed and returned again. If time permits, any rejected application must be corrected and returned to the County Election Commission by the seventh (7th) day before the Election.

9. Can the ballot be hand delivered?
No. The by-mail ballot must be received by the county election commission office through the postal mail.