Tennessee

Tennessee Voter Registration Requirements

You must register before you can vote in Tennessee.

You are eligible to vote in Tennessee if you meet all of the following requirements:

• You are a citizen of the United States.
• You are a resident of Tennessee. 
• You are at least 18 years of age on Election Day.

You cannot register to vote in Tennessee if:

• You have been convicted of a felony and your civil rights have not been restored

To register to vote:

• You must provide your driver’s license number or state ID number if you have one.
• If you do not have either of these IDs, you can use the last 4 digits of your Social Security number (SSN).
• If you do not have a Social Security number, then leave that space blank on your registration form.

If don’t provide any of these numbers or the state can’t match the number your provide to official records, you will have to show an accepted form of ID the first time you vote.

• If you vote in person, present an accepted form of ID at the polls.
• If you vote by mail, provide a copy of an accepted form of ID with your absentee ballot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Voting in Person

You do not have to show ID to vote in person in Tennessee if:

• you are a resident of a licensed nursing home or assisted living center and are voting at the facility;
• you are hospitalized;
• you have a religious objection to being photographed; or
• you cannot afford to pay the fee to obtain a photo ID

If you meet one of these exemptions you can fill out a form (called an affidavit) and vote a regular ballot.

If you do not meet one of these exceptions and do not have an accepted ID when you vote in person, you can still cast a provisional ballot. 

In order for your provisional ballot to count, you must bring an accepted ID to the election commission office and sign a form (called an affidavit) within two business days after the election.

Voting by Mail

You can vote using an absentee ballot if:

• You are a registered voter in Tennessee
• You can’t go to your polling place for a valid reason, like being sick or having a physical disability.

Valid reasons include:

• Being sick
• Having a physical disability
• Being hospitalized
• Taking care of someone who is hospitalized, sick or physically disabled
• Living in a licensed care facility that is not the same county where you are a resident

You have to apply with your county clerk to receive an absentee ballot. 

You don’t have to include ID with your application or when you return your completed ballot.

Frequently Asked Questions