Learn about all the options to vote in Tennessee to make a plan to vote that works for you!
Tennessee Board of Elections Phone Number: (615) 741-7956
Whether you are registering to vote for the first time, or need to update your address, name or party affiliation - we've got you covered!
Not sure if you are eligible to vote due to a felony conviction?
Click here to learn more.
Absolutely! You can check your voter registration online on Tennessee’s elections office website here, or you can contact the Board of Elections at (615)-741-7956.
It can take several weeks. Most states send out voter registration cards within 5 to 7 weeks after receiving the registration. If you do not receive a registration card in the mail, contact your state election office to confirm you are registered. Find your state’s contact information in our How to Vote in Your State section on this page! In any event, you should verify your registration a week prior to the voter registration deadline in your state in case you need to fill out a new registration form or correct your form.
Elections take place all the time throughout the year, and odds are, you probably have an election coming up in your state! In addition to the presidential election and midterm elections, you have statewide, countywide and municipal elections that you can make your voice heard in. Make sure you know when your upcoming elections are so that you don’t miss a single one! Check out when your next election is here.
Your state provides an online ballot tracking system. You can track your ballot here!
YES you are able to register to vote at your student address. You should provide your official campus mailing address as well as the actual physical address of your on or off campus residence when registering to vote. You must have some sort of proof of address and residency that can be presented at your polling place (mail, a student ID, etc.). For more information, we suggest visiting your state’s elections office website. Remember: you can only register to vote and vote in one place, whether that is your student address or your home address!
YES, unhoused voters can register to vote and use their voice in Tennessee’s elections. Unhoused voters or voters without a permanent address may list a shelter address, street corner, or park as their address. For more information on voting while unhoused, visit our friends at the National Coalition for the Homeless.
YES. In this case you must register at the last address you had before you left the USA, or at the address to which you will return to when returning to the USA (you must present some indication of a present intent to return and live there – e.g. vehicle registration, driver’s license, property ownership, family, etc). If you have never had a permanent address in the United States but are a citizen you are allowed to register at an address you plan on moving to or an address where you currently have family living. Access more information on voting overseas here.
You may call the voting rights hotline at 866 687-8683, if informing another poll worker isn’t successful. They have lawyers ready to help you. Additionally, you can call the civil rights division of the U.S Department of Justice.
You can also find Tennessee’s elections office here and contact them by phone at (615)-741-7956.
Request and track
Notice: Mail-in voting is a convenient and safe way to vote, but your ballot might not count if it’s submitted late or with errors. So follow the directions below on how to vote early or absentee and make your vote count in Tennessee.
Excuse required to vote by mail.
Voting by mail is a two step process in Tennessee.
Step 1: Request your ballot NOW. The deadline for your application to be received is 7 days before Election Day. A qualifying excuse is required in order to vote by mail in Tennessee.
Step 2: Complete and return your ballot ASAP.
Remember to sign your return ballot.
After you fill out your ballot, sign the outside of the ballot carrier envelope.
Be sure that your signature matches your signature on file with the state! If you registered online or at the DMV, check the signature on your license. If the signature does not match, your ballot could be tossed and will not count.
All voters are required to provide ID when voting by mail.
ID is required with application to vote by mail.
If voting by-mail, you must provide your full social security number as your identification with your ballot application. No ID information is required when sending in your ballot, signature matching will be used to process the ballot.
If you return your ballot by mail, you must add a stamp when mailing in your ballot.
You can have anyone you choose return your ballot to the post office. Note that no one may return ballots in-person, they must be mailed.
Track your ballot by clicking here.
If you have an absentee ballot that you are not going to use, or you miss the deadline to return, you may go to your polling place and vote in person. You will be asked to use a provisional ballot. This is better than not voting, but may not be counted.
Tennessee does not offer voters a chance to address challenges to their ballot. Your ballot will not count if it is late, or you do not follow directions.
Tennessee voters are required to show a valid ID at the polls to vote. It must be a photo ID that displays the voters name, and can be expired or not expired. Valid forms of identification include;
It is important to note that any form of student ID is NOT accepted as a valid form of ID when voting.
For first time voters who registered to vote online must bring one of the following when they vote only if their photo ID is expired;
Enter your address below to see what you can expect on Election Day.
Your state automatically registers people to vote at the address on their drivers license or other state issued ID card. If you have moved but have not updated your ID with your new address, changed your name or want to add a political party selection, you must update your voter registration. Click here to check to see if you are registered to vote, and update your registration if needed.
You can register to vote and cast your ballot on Election Day at your polling place or local elections office. Bring a valid ID and proof of residence with you.
Contact your local election commission for early voting locations and hours.
Some states have laws that specifically allow citizens to preregister at a certain age while others allow registration as long as you’re 18 by the next election. Preregistration means you’ll be automatically registered to vote on your 18th birthday without taking any additional steps.
In Tennessee, you can preregister to vote if you are 18 by election day. Register to vote today!
Some states even let you vote in their primaries at 17 if you’ll be 18 by the general election so you can participate in the whole process!
You can not vote in the Tennessee primaries if you are 17 by the next election.
