Tennessee voter registration guide: How to check registration status, options to vote

Melissa Brown, Nashville Tennessean
Updated ·4 min read

Are you registered to vote in Tennessee?

Ahead of a presidential election year, Tennesseans have just a few months left to register to vote before presidential party primaries on March 5. Voter registration closes in Tennessee 30 days prior.

State, federal and local primaries in other races, such as the U.S. Senate race, will be on the ballot starting in August.

Voter registration can be confusing, so let's break it down.

Am I registered to vote in Tennessee?

You can use the state's voter registration information lookup website to determine if you're currently registered to vote in Tennessee.

VOTER REGISTRATION STATUS: Check to see if you're registered to vote in Tennessee

How to register to vote in Tennessee

If you're not currently registered, you can head over to the state of Tennessee's official website to register online or download a voter registration application to mail to your county election commission.

Applications can also be picked up in person at public libraries, county election commission offices, county clerk offices and register of deeds offices.

What are Tennessee's voter registration deadlines?

Tennessee has one of the earliest voter registration deadlines in the country: You must be registered 30 days before any election. If you're mailing in a voting application, it must be postmarked 30 days in advance of election day.

For the March 5 presidential primary, voter registration will close on Feb. 5.

For the Aug. 1 elections for state and federal primary races, and state and county general races, voter registration closes on July 2.

For the Nov. 5, 2024, federal and state general elections, voter registration closes on Oct. 7.

How to vote in Tennessee

The state of Tennessee offers several options for voting.

Vote early in-person

Though early voting periods vary slightly depending on the race, early voting periods typically begin 20 days before an election and end five days before an election.

For the presidential primary, early voting ends seven days before the election. Early voting ahead of the March 5 presidential primary will run from Feb. 14 to 27.

Early voting will run from July 12 to 27 for federal and state legislative primaries, and some county general elections on the ballot.

For the November general election, early voting will open on Oct. 16 and close on Oct. 31, 2024.

Early voting locations can be found here.

Request a mail-in/absentee ballot

If you want to vote absentee, you must confirm you qualify under Tennessee's absentee eligibility list.

Those eligible include voters aged 60 or older, military members, overseas citizens, students at accredited colleges outside of their registered county. People who are hospitalized, ill or physically disabled and their caretakers can also be eligible for absentee status.

A full list of eligible people is available on the Secretary of State's website.

You must first be registered to vote before requesting an absentee ballot no earlier than 90 days and no later than seven days before an election.

This request must be submitted to the local county election commission office.

Tennesseans must submit an absentee ballot request by mail, fax or email. You can use this form or a written request including all of the following:

  • Name of the registered voter

  • Address of the voter's residence

  • Voter's Social Security number

  • Voter's date of birth

  • Address to mail the ballot

  • 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

Absentee ballots must be returned via mail. You cannot hand deliver an absentee ballot to a polling site or election worker in Tennessee.

Voting in-person on election day

If you plan on voting in person in Tennessee, you can find your polling location options here.

What kind of voting ID does Tennessee require?

You must have a photo ID issued by Tennessee or the federal government, such as a Tennessee's driver's license, military ID or passport.

Other forms of photo ID such as college IDs, driver's licenses from other states and library cards are not eligible.

Can I vote with expired ID in Tennessee?

Yes, if your Tennessee or federal photo ID has technically expired, you can still use it to vote.

The one exception is if you're a first-time Tennessee voter with an expired, but eligible, ID. In that circumstance, the voter must present a government document that shows the voter’s name and address, such as a utility bill, bank statement or paycheck.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Voter registration deadlines and how to vote in Tennessee in 2024