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Training Requirement: Tennessee offers optional training for registration drives. For more information, visit vrdt.govotetn.com
Additional information from the Secretary of State on how to run a registration drive, including a video is located here: sos.tn.gov/civics/guides/about-hosting-voter-registrationdrives
Notification and Registration Requirements: Tennessee does not have notification or registration requirements for registration drives. Please contact your local county election official for supplies: tnsos.org/elections/election_commissions.php
Compensation Restrictions: Do not pay registration drive participants based on how many registrations they collect. A person can be paid on an hourly or salaried basis; however, it is illegal to employ or compensate any person, or for any person to received wages or compensation for registering voters based on the number of voters registered. It is also illegal to establish quotas, or establish a minimum number of completed forms to be collected by individuals conducting a voter registration drive.
Disclosure Requirement: Any person or organization who provides or publishes erroneous or incorrect information regarding the qualifications to vote, the requirements to register to vote, whether an individual is currently registered or eligible to register, voter registration deadlines, or polling dates, times and locations, must, upon discovery, immediately notify the appropriate county election commission and the coordinator of elections.
Canvasser Restrictions: To collect or handle voter registration applications from another person, a person must not have been convicted of certain felonies under Tennessee law. A per-violation fine of $5000 applies.
State Form: The state mail-in voter registration application can be downloaded at the Department of State website: sos-tn-gov-files.tnsosfiles.com/forms/ss3010.pdf
Federal Form: Tennessee accepts the federal voter registration form: eac.gov/voters/national-mail-voterregistration-form
Photocopying Blank Forms: Tennessee law does not restrict copying blank forms.
Incomplete Applications: In Tennessee it is illegal for a person or organization collecting voter registrations to alter the voter registration form of any person without the person’s knowledge and consent. Each violation carries a $5,000 fine.
Providing Filled Out Forms: It is illegal for a person or organization to mail or otherwise provide a voter registration application upon which any information about an applicant has been filled in before it is provided to the applicant. Per-application fines apply to violations.
Photocopying Completed Applications: The Social Security number provided on a paper form or online is confidential and may not be copied, photographed, or in any way retained by any person other than election officials. If any person or organization who conducts a drive or operates an online voter registration platform wants to copy, photograph, or in any way retain personal identifying information collected on a registration application or entered into the online voter registration platform, including name, email, phone number, and signature, for any purpose other than voter participation, voter engagement, or voter turnout, the person or organization must inform the applicant how the applicant’s personal information will be used by them and the applicant must expressly consent in writing or electronically.
Submitting Completed Applications: Applications must be delivered or mailed to the county election commission where the applicant resides within 15 days of the receipt of the form, or if received within 15 days of the registration deadline, which is 30 days before an election, the forms must be delivered or mailed no later than the voter registration deadline. County election commission information can be found here: tnsos.org/elections/election_commissions.php
For more information, visit
www.fairelectionscenter.org
