TENNESSEE

Voter Registration Deadline: 30 days before Election Day.

2025 Election Information

There are no statewide elections in Tennessee this year.

For information on upcoming 2025 special and local elections, please visit https://sos.tn.gov/elections/calendar, or contact your local election authority, which can be found here: https://tnsos.org/elections/election_commissions.php.

More election information available at:

sos.tn.gov/elections/voter-information

Online voter registration available at:

ovr.govote.tn.gov/

Mail-in PDF voter registration form available at:

bit.ly/TNReg2VotePaperForm

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.

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.

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:

sos.tn.gov/products/elections/what-id-required-when-voting

Make a plan. Look up your voting site and hours at:

tnmap.tn.gov/voterlookup/

By Mail: Tennessee requires an excuse to vote by mail. Voters who qualify to vote by mail include those that are (1) voters that will be outside the county where they are registered during the early voting period and on election day, (2) full-time students at accredited colleges and universities located outside their county of registration, and their spouses, (3) voters over 60 years of age, (4) voters with physical disabilities who are assigned to an inaccessible polling place, (5) Military members and U.S. citizens located overseas.

For a full list of qualifying excuses, visit: https://sos.tn.gov/elections/guides/guide-to-absentee-voting

• Mail-in Ballot Application Deadline: Applications for absentee ballots must be mailed, emailed, or faxed to your county election commission office so that they are received no later than 10 days before Election Day.
• Completed Mail-in Ballot Return Deadline: 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. Voters

First time voters in their county of registration that register to vote by mail or online must ultimately vote in-person unless they are on the permanent absentee voting list or are a participant in the address confidentiality program.

An absentee application form is available at:

https://sos.tn.gov/elections/services/absentee-voting

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.

Does Registering to Vote Affect my 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.

Does Registering to Vote Affect my Status as a Dependent on My 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.

Does Registering to Vote impact my 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.