- Tennessee voters were first permitted to vote early in person in the 1994 general election thanks to a law that was passed by the Legislature earlier that year. The passage of the early voting law made Tennessee one of eight states, at the time, to allow in-person early voting. The law states that registered voters shall go to their county election commission offices during designated days and times and vote.
- You don't need a reason to vote early in person in Tennessee. Any registered Tennessee voter can vote early this way. All they need to do is show up at their county election commission office or a satellite polling place during the days that early voting is permitted. You'll need to contact your county election registrar to find out days and times they're open.
- Tennessee early voting law states that in-person voting starts 20 days before Election Day and ends five days prior to Election Day. The only exception involves a municipal election where no opposing candidate is on the ballot. In these elections, in-person early voting begins just 10 days before Election Day. Polls are closed during holidays, but are open on Saturdays during the official early voting time period. The voting process used by in-person early voters is the same process you'd use on Election Day.
- Unlike in-person voting, by-mail voting early requires the voter to provide a reason for choosing this voting method. The Secretary of State's office provides a list or acceptable excuses on its website, but generally by-mail voting is permitted for voters who are unable to vote on Election Day because they'll either be out of state or due to physical limitations, such as a disability.
- To request a by-mail ballot, provide the following information to your county election commission: your name, address, Social Security number, address to which to mail the ballot, the election you'll be participating in by mail-in vote, the reason for the request and your signature. Then, fax, mail or email the information to your county election commission office. The application must be submitted a minimum of seven days before Election Day to allow time for processing. After your information is reviewed and you're approved for by-mail voting, an absentee ballot is sent to you. Fill it out and send it back to your county election commission office to ensure your vote is counted on Election Day. You can vote by mail up to 90 days before the official election date. Registered voters must vote in person in at least one election in order to be eligible to vote by mail, unless they're on the permanent absentee voting list.