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Nashville, TN
Change City

How to Vote in Tennessee’s 2024 Elections

Posted on 10/17/24 by Michelle Tuccitto Sullo

En español

Voting after Hurricane Helene

The Tennessee secretary of state’s office has set up a dedicated web page for voters impacted by Helene. It includes information on in-person and absentee voting, photo ID requirements and the status of counties impacted by the storm. Information for voters impacted by Helene is also included in this guide.

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Important dates

Deadline to request an absentee by-mail ballot: Tuesday, Oct. 29
Early in-person voting: Wednesday, Oct. 16, through Thursday, Oct. 31
Deadline to return an absentee by-mail ballot: Tuesday, Nov. 5 (received, not postmarked)
Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 5

Voting at a glance

  • Voter registration: The deadline to register to vote for the general election is Monday, Oct. 7. Visit the state's voter information portal to check your status.
  • Absentee voting: Absentee by-mail ballots are available to some voters, including individuals 60 and older and people who will be traveling outside their county during early voting and on Election Day.
  • Early voting: You can vote early and in person at your county election commission office or at a satellite early voting location, if your county uses one. Early voting usually starts 20 days and ends five days before an election.
  • Voting at the polls: Polls are open on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Hours may vary by location. A federal or state-issued photo ID, such as a U.S. passport or Tennessee driver’s license, is required to vote on Election Day.

  • "Roll To The Polls" AARP Tennessee has partners with organizations in Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga an McNairy County to provide free rides on Election Day.

Recent voting changes in Tennessee

  • Lawmakers in 2024 shortened the voting period in nursing homes from 29 days before an election to 27 days.
  • Redistricting in early 2022 altered certain boundaries of U.S. congressional and state legislative districts. Litigation over the state districts is ongoing.
  • Convicted felons may regain their right to vote in certain circumstances. Visit the secretary of state's website for more information.

How to register to vote

  • Online: Use the state's voter information portal to register or update your registration status. Include your name, date of birth and Social Security number. You’ll need a Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security ID or a Tennessee driver’s license to submit your application. 
  • By mail: Print a voter registration form, complete it and mail it to your county election commission office. Or contact your commission office to request that a form be mailed to you. You also can pick up a form at a public library or at a county election commission, a register of deeds or a county clerk’s office.
  • In person: Visit your county election commission office to fill out or return a completed registration form. You also can register during an appointment with the Department of Human Services, Department of Health or other location listed on the secretary of state's website.

The voter registration deadline for the general election is Monday, Oct. 7.

Registering to vote on Election Day

Tennessee law does not allow for registration on Election Day.

Check your voter registration status

Check whether you’re registered to vote through the state’s voter information portal or through the GoVoteTN app.

How to request an absentee ballot

Absentee voting is allowed under certain circumstances, including for anyone 60 or older, people who will be out of town throughout the early voting period and on Election Day, those who live in nursing homes or long-term care facilities, and anyone who is hospitalized or who has a physical disability preventing them from going to a polling place.

If you are displaced due to Hurricane Helene and are outside your county, you can request that an absentee ballot be delivered to your new location.

Request a ballot:

  • Online: Complete an absentee by-mail request form and email it to your county election commission office. Your email must include a picture of your signature, as well as your name, address, Social Security number, date of birth, a reason for voting absentee and the specific election for which you’re requesting a ballot. A ballot will then be mailed to you. 
  • In person: Applications cannot be submitted in person. 

The deadline to submit an absentee ballot request for the general election is Tuesday, Oct. 29.

If you already requested an absentee ballot but it has been lost, damaged or you need it sent to a new location, contact your county election commission to void your current ballot and reissue a ballot.

Some residents may qualify for placement on a permanent absentee voter list.

Returning an absentee ballot

Only return completed ballots with proper postage by mail, including by the U.S. Postal Service, FedEx, UPS or other mail carrier. In-person delivery of ballots is not permitted.

You must mail your ballot in time for your county election commission to receive it no later than the close of polls on Election Day.

Track your absentee ballot’s status via the state's voter services portal.

US-VOTE-POLITICS-SUPERTUESDAY
"I Voted" stickers sit on a table at a polling station in Nashville, TN.
Seth Herald/AFP/Getty Images

Voting in person before Election Day

Any registered voter may vote early and in person at their county election commission office or a satellite location. Early in-person voting for the general election runs from Wednesday, Oct. 16, through Thursday, Oct. 31.

Note that Cocke election commission has moved due to Hurricane Helene.

Voting at the polls on Election Day

Find your polling location via GoVoteTN or the state's voter services portal. Polling hours may vary by county, but all locations close at 7 p.m. CT, 8 p.m. ET. You will be able to cast a ballot after the polls close as long as you are already in line.

Note changes to polling locations in Carter and Cocke counties due to Hurricane Helene.

On Election Day, voters can get free public transportation to the polls in some cities. The Nashville WeGo bus transit system will be offering free rides all day for all routes. Knoxville Area Transit also will be fare-free. AARP Tennessee has also sponsored free rides on Election Day on Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) buses, Chattanooga Area Regional Transit Authority (CARTA) buses, and via volunteer-driver programs Senior Ride Nashville and MyRide McNairy County.

Visit GoVoteTN for sample ballots.

Voter ID requirements on Election Day

You’ll need to show a federal or state-issued photo ID, such as a U.S. passport, Tennessee driver’s license, military photo ID or handgun carry permit. A full list of acceptable documents is on the secretary of state's website.

If you forget your ID at home, you may cast a provisional ballot when voting in person. You will then have until two business days after the election to show a valid photo ID to your county election commission’s office. While you’re there, you must sign an affidavit.

Voting with a disability

Voters who need assistance filling in their ballot can receive help from a poll worker or an individual of their choice, as long as that person is not an employer, union official or candidate on the ballot.

Polling locations will have an accessible voting machine designed to help residents vote privately and independently.

Voters with disabilities also have the opportunity to vote via absentee ballot.

Voting from a nursing home or long-term care facility

If you live in a nursing home or long-term care facility, you are eligible to vote via absentee by-mail ballot.

Under legislation passed in 2024, lawmakers shortened the voting period in nursing homes. It can now start 27 days before an election instead of 29 days.


Editor’s note: This guide was originally published on Jan. 18, 2024, and was updated on Oct. 17, 2024, with new information on voting after Hurricane Helene.

Michelle Tuccitto Sullo is a contributing writer covering state and federal policy. She previously served as managing editor of the Hartford Business Journal in Connecticut and has worked for the New Haven Register, Connecticut Law Tribune and New Haven Biz.

Also of Interest:

This story is provided by AARP Tennessee. Visit the AARP Tennessee page for more news, events, and programs affecting retirement, health care, and more.

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