1

Summary of Election Laws in Tennessee

2

Note: There are 20 chapters on election law in Tennessee. The study calls for a summary of TN voting laws, but for the purposes of the LWVKKC this study includes a thorough summary of the TN Voter Confidence Act (signed into law by Governor Bredesen June 5, 2008; delay signed into law January 22, 2010 by Governor Bredesen), the Voter Identification Requirements (signed into law May 30, 2011 by Governor Haslam), and various other laws, rules, and regulations relative to the scope of activities and outreach performed by LWVKKC. T N Voter Confidence A ct In May 2011 when the membership voted to pursue voter participation strategy research, the TN Voter Confidence Act (TVCA) was in the middle of a legislative battle and the future of the bill

Voter Confidence Actfollows. The TVCA passed the state legislature nearly unanimously and was signed into law by Governor Bredesen in 2008. Primarily, the Act required all 95 counties in Tennessee to purchase or lease optical scan voting machines and hand-count voter-verified paper ballots no later than the November 2010 elections. At the time of passage, 93 of 95 counties use touch-screen machines with no paper trail to verify results (Woods 2010). The Secretary of State Tre Hargett argued that it would be impossible to comply with the law by the 2010 deadline, as the act is very specific and requires counties to use only certified equipment that meets the security and reliability standards adopted by the federal Election Assistance Commission in 2005. The claimed issue with this standard was that there were no vendors certified to sell equipment that met those

-24 months and that he was not confident that a vendor could complete the process in time for the November 2010 elections

At the start of the 2010 legislative session, the Senate voted 22-10 to delay implementation of the Tennessee Voter Confidence Act until the 2012 elections in order to relieve county election officials of the cost of buying paper ballots. Statements made by several Senators indicated that the cost burden was too great to bear during the current recession (Woods 2010). The Secretary

more than $11 million (WSMV 2011).

In accordance with the delayed implementation, all 95 counties were subject to comply with the TVCA (see TCA § 2-20-101, 2-20-102, 2-20-103, 2-20-104, 2-20-105, and 2-20-106) by the 2012 Election Cycle. The TVCA has 6 main parts:

1. Utilization of precinct-based optical scanners (§ 2-20-101),

2. Voter with disabilities Privacy of ballot (§ 2-20-102),

3. Automatic mandatory audits of voter-verified paper ballots -- Random selection of precincts -- Security of ballots -- Certification of results (§ 2-20-103),

4. Electronic voting systems -- Rules and regulations -- Testing of equipment. (§ 2-20-104),

5. Duties and power of coordinator of elections (§ 2-20-105), and

3

6. Voting system preference (§ 2-20-106).

A brief summary of each section is as follows:

1. Utilization of precinct-based optical scanners (§ 2-20-101):

County Election commissions may use precinct-ballot scanner that is located in the precinct and into which optical scan voter-verified paper ballots, marked either by hand by the voter or with the assistance of a device, are inserted to

-verified paper ballotpermanent, individual paper ballot that is marked either manually by the voter or with the assistance of a device and verified by the voter as correctly reflecting the voter's intent, before the voter's vote is counted by the precinct-based opti

2. Voter with disabilities Privacy of ballot (§ 2-20-102):

This section indicates all voting systems must meet the minimum federal law requirements for voters with disabilities to be able to complete the voting process while still maintaining the privacy of their ballots.

3. Automatic mandatory audits of voter-verified paper ballots -- Random selection of precincts -- Security of ballots -- Certification of results (§ 2-20-103):

This section is the longest of the act, contains the most regulation and entails the exact process of random audits. After each November general election, all county election commissions using precinct-audits of the voter-verified paper ballots cast for the president of the United States in a

-Before each election, the county election commission must assure that each optical scan tabulator used to count ballots (absentee by-mail, early voting, and Election Day ballots) must be cleaned of debris by the manufacturer and the manufacturer must provide a certification of this cleaning. This certificate must be made available to the public prior to the use of the tabulator. -All county election commissions, regardless of population size, must randomly select at least one precinct-based optical scanner used to count early voting ballots -For counties with a population of more than 300,000 (according to the most recent available census), the county election commission must randomly select at least 5 voting precincts in the county -Before the optical scan tabulators may be used for the audit, a printed tape of election results must be generated from the electronic election results and must be backed up onto a separate laptop. The tabulator must then be cleared and reset. A zero tape from the tabulator must be

4

printed before the tabulator can be used in the audit. -Immediately after the polls close and at a venue that is open to the public, the county election commission must randomly select the precinct(s) and will select the correct number of precinct-based optical scan tabulators used to count ballots during early voting to be used for the mandatory audit. The result of the random drawing must be announced to the public. The random selection method must ensure that all precincts have an equal chance of being selected. -After unofficial election results (excluding provision ballots) have been publicized, a county election commissioner from the majority party and a county election commissioner from the minority party must have all absentee by-mail, early voting, and Election Day ballots locked and sealed (see § 2-6-311) until the county election commission meets to conduct the audit. The tabulators used in the election process must also remain locked and secure until the commission convenes. -Before 1:00 pm local time on the day immediately following Election Day, the audit must follow these requirements:

-The audit must be at a time and place open to the public -The randomly selected precincts must be identified -The audit must include absentee by-mail ballots that were counted by the tabulator -The commissioner from the majority party and the commissioner from the minority party must both personally hold the keys to the ballot boxes and will unlock the ballot boxes -The commission must identify and remove the respective ballot box(es) from the precincts that were randomly selected for audit -The commission will remove the ballots for early voting, absentee by-mail voting, and Election Day voting, and will verify the accuracy of the unofficial election results by inserting each type of ballot into three difference randomly selected tabulators. -The commission will then compare the results obtained during the audit with the unofficial election results. Then, the commission must publicly announce these results. -If the audit results indicate that there is a variance of less than 1% between the unofficial election results and the automatic audit, no hand count audit will be required. The county election commission can then certify the election results as determined. -If the audit results indicate there is a variance of more than 1% between the unofficial election results and the automatic audit, the county election commission must randomly select at least 3% of the voting precincts in the county (this may include the voting precincts previously audited). The county election commission must then identify the ballot box or boxes from the subject voting precincts, obtain the ballots out of those ballot boxes and then insert such ballots into a different tabulator than that used to originally count the ballots. In addition, the county election commission may conduct a manual hand count of these same ballots. The automatic audit or the manual hand count audit, if one is conducted, shall be of the top race on the ballot in such voting precincts used in the expanded audit. The county election commission must publicly announce the results of the automatic audit and the manual hand count if a manual hand count is conducted. -The results of any difference between precinct-based optical scan tabulations or the hand

5

count audit must be available for use in any election contest filed pursuant of § 2-17 (Contested Elections).

4. Electronic voting systems -- Rules and regulations -- Testing of equipment. (§ 2-20-104):

-All new precinct-based optical scanners purchased or leased pursuant to TVCA must be certified pursuant to § 2-9-110 and must have been certified by the election assistance commission as having met the applicable voluntary voting systems guidelines. The scanners must operate in accordance with the guidelines and must be made available by their vendors with sufficient documentation, at the request of the state election commission or the secretary of state for review by an independent expert (to be selected by the state election commission or the secretary of state) to ensure the functionality and security of its systems. -The state coordinator of elections must enact necessary rules and regulations that require all tests to be properly conducted on the precinct-based optical scanners and must require a review to be conducted of the precinct-based optical scanners and the relevant and required documentation -Before each election, all precinct-based optical scanners purchased, leases or used by any county election commission must be subject to acceptance testing by the commission in accordance with the rules and regulations set forth by the state coordinator of elections -Vendors must provide access to all information required by law, rule, or regulation, which must then be placed in escrow with an agent designated by the secretary of state. -No precinct-based optical scanners used in an election can have the capability, enabled or disabled, for wireless communication of any sort.

5. Duties and power of coordinator of elections (§ 2-20-105):

-If the county election commission requests it, the state coordinator of elections must provide necessary assistance and guidance in the selection of a precinct-based optical scanner pursuant to the requirements of this chapter. To the extent federal funding through the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) remains available for the cost of purchasing or leasing any new precinct-based optical scanners, the coordinator must also provide financial assistance for purchasing or leasing such machines.

-The coordinator of elections must provide a list of authorized printers for any county election commission to use for the printing of ballots and is also authorized to explore the feasibility of utilizing ballot-on-demand technology.

6. Voting system preference (§ 2-20-106)

-Every effort must be made to purchase precinct-based optical scanner voting systems that were manufactured in the United States.

6

Voter Identification Requirements Since the membership voted to pursue this study in 2011, legislation has occurred pertaining to

study proposal, summarizing current law is necessary for LWVKKC purposes. Introduced in January 2011, Senate. After passing both the Senate on February 14, 2011 and the House on April 14, 2011, the text changed substantively and then it passed the Senate through Concurrence Vote on May 2011. The bill was signed into law on May 20, 2011 by Governor Haslam 2011). The b -7-112 in various parts. As of the recently-concluded legislative session in spring 2013, there have also been a few changes to the original requirements of the bill. A brief summary of the amendments and current photo identification requirements are as follows (see § 2-7-112, 2013, and Appendix 2). -photograph, whether voting early or on Election Day. Any of the following IDs may be used, even if expired: Tennessee driver license with photo

the U.S. Department of Energy with photo

What forms of photo ID are N O T acceptable?

discount club or bank card with photo

Who is exempt?

http://www.tn.gov/sos/election/bymail.htm) esidents of a licensed nursing home or assisted living center and who vote at

the facility

fee

What if a voter does not bring a photo ID to the polling place?

a voter does not bring a photo ID, the voter must vote via provisional ballot. The voter then has until two (2) business days after Election Day to return to the election

commission office to show a valid photo ID.

7

What if a voter does not have a photo ID?

Voters may obtain a free photo ID to vote from the Department of Safety and Homeland Security at a driver service center. They will need proof of citizenship (such as a birth certificate), two proofs of Tennessee residency (such as a voter registration card, utility bill, vehicle registration/title, or bank statement), and if their name differs from that on the primary ID, proof of the changed name (such as certified marriage certificate, divorce decree, certified court order, etc.).

the voter does not have a photo on their other form of valid photo ID, the voter may visit a driver service center to have a photo added to their license for free upon request.

Voters seeking to obtain a photo ID e at the driver service center to minimize wait times.

N O T E : If a voter already has a valid government-issued photo ID, the Department of Safety will not issue a free photo ID.

Other important information:

a current photo ID with a O R the voter must also present one of the following: a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other

Note: The most recent amendments to the voter photo identification law include the prohibition of using photo IDs issued by other states as acceptable forms of identification when voting in person. This change mirrors similar laws in other states such as Indiana and has been upheld in the U.S. Supreme Court (see William Crawford v. Marion County Election Board). The recent amendments also clarify the original intent in passing the law by explicitly excluding photo IDs issued by counties and municipalities. These changes took effect when the amended law was signed by Governor Haslam in April 2013

8

Voter Registration Voter registration is a key activity at all levels of LWV, as it is an integral part of achieving the

Voter registration law, rules, and regulations in Tennessee are extensive; for all 51 subsections see the six main chapters § 2-20-101, 2-20-102, 2-20-103, 2-20-104, 2-20-105, and 2-20-106). This study includes a brief summary of the laws primarily relevant to the voter registration efforts of LWVKKC, but Title 2 Chapter 2 of the TCA should be referenced for more detailed information that may be only applicable to certain specific voter registration cases. Voter Qualifications In order to register to vote, one must be a qualified voter. Voter qualifications can be divided into 4 basic parts: citizenship, residency, felony conviction status, and registration before the deadline. Below is a summary of the 4 qualifications.

1. You must be a citizen of the United States, 18 years of age or older on or before the date of the next election (see § 2-2-102).

2. You must be a resident of Tennessee. There are guidelines for determining residency. To determine whether a person is a resident of Tennessee, the registrar must consider the following factors:

-is where, during periods of absence, the person definitely intends to return. -A person can have only one residence. -A change of residence is made not only by relocation, but also by intent to remain in the new location permanently, and by demonstrating actions consistent with that intention. -The following factors may be considered: o o Locatio o o Place of payment of taxes which are governed by residence; o o activities such as driving. -

intention of remaining in a place other than where the spouse and family reside. -No person gains or loses residency solely by presence in or absence from the state while employed in the service of the United States or this state, or while a student at an institution of higher learning, or while kept in an institution at public expense .

There are special considerations for Homeless Persons Residency and Non-resident Property Owners.

9

For Homeless Persons Residency:

-In order to register to vote in Tennessee, a person does not have to live in a building. Instead, a person who finds himself or herself homeless must describe where the person usually stays or returns to when absent. This location may be the address of a shelter where the person stays or frequents, or it may be the description of a street corner where the person may often rest. A physical description of the location must be given so that the election commission knows in which voting precinct to place the person (see § 2-2-122).

-The election commission must mail voter registration cards to people who register to vote by mail. Therefore, if a homeless person tries to register to vote by mail using an address where the person does not get the mail, the person will have to give a mailing address where he or she can receive mail. For example, a homeless voter may be able to use a shelter as a mailing address. Another option is to use General Delivery as a mailing address (see § 2-2-106).

-If the voter registration card is returned as undeliverable to the election commission twice, then the registration will be voided, and the person will not be a registered voter. (see § 2-2-115).

-In addition, like all registered voters, a homeless person should let the county election commission know when there are any changes to the mailing address or address where the person is registered to vote .

For Non-resident Property Owners:

-Otherwise qualified voters who own real property within a municipality in which they do not live may register to vote if the municipal charter extends the right to vote to non-resident property owners. Non-resident property owners must provide proof of property ownership at the time of registration. Consult local election commission offices for further information or the city attorney of the municipality in which property is owned (see § 2-2-107 and - .

3. You must not have been convicted of a felony, or if you have, your full rights of citizenship must have been restored (or you must have received a pardon) (see § 2-2-139). While the Tennessee Constitution provides that the legislature may deny the right

there are established conditions and procedures through which individuals who have lost their voting rights may regain them. The manner in which a person may restore a lost voting right depends upon the crime committed and the year in which the conviction occurred.

For convictions prior to January 15, 1973 (see Crutchfield v. Collins and ):

Type of C rime That Forfeits Right to Vote

10

Abusing a female child; Arson and felonious burning; Bigamy; Bribery; Burglary; felonious breaking and entering a dwelling house; felonious

breaking into a business house, outhouse other than a dwelling house; larceny; horse stealing; robbery; receiving stolen property; stealing bills of exchange or other valuable papers;

Destroying a will; Incest; rape; sodomy; buggery; or Perjury; subornation of perjury.

Conditions Under Which Person May Be E ligible for Restoration of Voting Rights

Proving that, at the time of conviction, the judge did not render person infamous;

Conviction reversed on appeal; Receipt of a full pardon; or Circuit court, in either the county where person resides or in the county

where person was convicted, issues judgment that restores full rights of citizenship upon the person. (Person may petition the circuit court for restoration at the expiration of the maximum sentence imposed for the infamous crime conviction.)

Procedure for Restoring Voting Rights

Present proof of one of the above-mentioned conditions to the county election commission in the county in which the person resides;

County administrator of elections shall send a copy of the documentation to the Coordinator of Elections for verification; and

Upon verification, the person may be registered to vote.

For convictions between January 15, 1973 and May 17, 1981 (J

Type of C rime That Forfeits Right to Vote

None

Condition Under Which Person May Be E ligible for Restoration of Voting Rights

11

Because a person convicted of an infamous crime during this time period may register to vote, regardless of the nature of the conviction, there are no conditions or procedures that apply.

For felony convictions after May 18, 1981

Type of C rime That Forfeits Right to Vote

All Felonies

Conditions under Which Person May Be E ligible for Restoration of Voting Rights

Receipt of a pardon; Expiration of the maximum sentence imposed for the crime; or Granted final release from incarceration or supervision by the board of

paroles, the department of correction, or county correction authority; and Any court order restitution paid; and/or Current in the payment of any child support obligations; and/or Any court ordered court costs paid

Procedures for Restoring Voting Rights

1. Court Order a.

in which the person currently resides or the county in which the person was convicted.

b. Bring the certified copy of the original order to the office of the county election commission in the county in which the person resides.

OR

2. Certificate of Restoration (see Appendix 3)

-Print the Certificate of Restoration of Voting Rights, or obtain a certificate from the county election commission office;

- Have the Certificate of Restoration of Voting Rights completed by the pardoning authority, an agent or officer of the supervising or incarcerating authority, and/or the an agent of the circuit/criminal court clerk;

-Bring the completed Certificate of Restoration of Voting Rights to the office of the county election commission in the county in which person resides;

12

-County administrator of elections shall send a copy of the Certificate of Restoration of Voting Rights to the Coordinator of Elections for verification; and

-Upon verification that the applicant does not have any outstanding child support obligations due, the person may be registered to vote.

Exceptions: persons convicted of any of the following, cannot have his or her voting rights restored:

-Between July 1, 1986, and June 30, 1996 -first degree murder, aggravated rape, treason, or voter fraud

-Between July 1, 1996, and June 30, 2006 - murder, rape, treason, or voter fraud

-On or after July 1, 2006 Any of the above, or any degree of murder or rape or any offense under TCA Title 39, Chapter 16, parts 1, 4, or 5 designated as a felony or any violation containing the same elements and designated as a felony in any other state or federal court; or any sexual offense under § 40-39-202 or any violent sexual offense under § 40-39-202 designated as a felony or any violation containing the same elements and designated as a felony in any other state or federal court and where the victim of such offense was a minor.

4. In order to participate in an election, a qualified voter must be properly registered no later than thirty days before the election. The election commission office will process any by-mail voter registration form that has been postmarked at least thirty days before the election (see § 2-2-109 and ).

13

How to Register to Vote

-Downloading and completing the voter registration application at http://www.tn.gov/sos/election/forms/ss-3010.pdf and mail to your local county election commission (see Appendix 4)

-Registering in person at

County Election Commission Office Department of Health (WIC program) Department of Human Services Department of Mental Health Department of Safety (motor vehicles division) Department of Public Libraries Register of Deeds Offices15

Updating Voter Registration Information (see

Moving within the County/Changing Name If the voter has moved within their county or changed their name, they may fill out another voter

The form may be mailed, faxed, or emailed with an attached document which includes a scanned signature or submitted in person to your local county election commission office. When updating the name, the form must be mailed or taken to the local county election commission office. The form must be signed and received no later than five days before the election in order to process the change. If the voter chooses not to use the voter registration allocation, the voter may submit any address change within the county in writing to the local county election commission office. updated their address and the voting period has already begun, the voter is encouraged to vote during the early voting period because they can update their address at that time. If the voter waits until Election Day to update voter information and the permanent registration record differs from the current address, the voter will have to complete an affidavit before being allowed to vote. Then the voter will be required to vote at their new polling location (or at a central location if the county election commission office designates one).

Moving to a Different County

Moving to a different county is not considered an update- registration does NOT transfer between counties. A voter must register in their new county by submitting a voter registration application to their local county election commission office. The voter may either go in person or mail the application. The same 30-day deadline applies and if the application is submitted by mail, the voter must vote in person at the first election.

14

Absentee Voting

There are two ways to absentee vote in Tennessee:

-Early Voting: Appearing in person at either the county election commission office or at a satellite voting location opened by the county election commission. Early voting begins 20 days before the election and ends 5 days before the election .

-By mail via absentee ballot: There are requirements to meet if a voter wishes to vote via absentee ballot . In order to vote by mail, the voter must fall into one of these categories:

1. The voter will be outside the county of registration during the early voting period and all day on Election Day;

2. -time student in an accredited college or university outside the county of registration;

3. filed a statement with the county election commission stating that, in the physician's judgment, the voter is medically unable to vote in person. The statement must be filed not less than seven (7) days before the election and signed under the penalty of perjury;

4. The voter resides in a licensed facility providing relatively permanent domiciliary care, other than a penal institution, outside the voter's county of residence;

5. The voter will be unable to vote in person due to service as a juror for a federal or state court;

6. The voter is sixty (60) years of age or older; 7. The voter has a physical disability and an inaccessible polling place; 8. The voter is hospitalized, ill, or physically disabled and because of such condition, cannot

vote in person; 9. The voter is a caretaker of a person who is hospitalized, ill, or disabled; 10. The voter is a candidate for office in the election; 11. The voter serves as an Election Day official or as a member or employee of the election

commission; 12.

during the early voting period and on Election Day; 13. The voter possesses a valid commercial driver license and certifies that he or she will be

working outside the state or county of registration during the early voting period and all day on Election Day; and has no specific out-of-county or out-of-state location to which mail may be sent or received during such time.

14. The voter is a member of the military or is an overseas citizen.

-In order to request an absentee ballot, the voter must mail, fax, or email with an attached document (including a scanned signature) with the following information to the local county election commission office:

1. Name of the registered voter 2. Address of the voter's residence

15

3. Voter's social security number 4. Voter's date of birth 5. Address to mail the ballot outside the county (this applies only when the reason for

voting by mail involves that the voter will be outside of the county during early voting and on Election Day)

6. The election the voter wishes to participate in. If the election involves a primary, the political party in which the voter wishes to participate

7. Reason the voter wishes to vote absentee 8. Voter's signature

The voter requesting the absentee ballot may also fill out the Absentee Ballot Request Form (see Appendix 1). Once the information is processed, the local election commission will mail a ballot to the voter.

-A registered voter may request an application for by-mail ballot no earlier than ninety (90) days before the election and no later than seven (7) days before the election. To be processed for the next election, the application must be received by the election commission no later than seven (7) days before the election. -The county election commission must receive the ballot by mail no later than the close of polls on Election Day. Once the election commission issues an absentee by-mail ballot to a voter, the voter can only vote by mail. -NOTE: Unless an individual who has registered to vote by mail is on the permanent absentee voting register, that person must appear in person to vote in the first election after the registration becomes effective. If a by-mail registrant has already voted in person since the registration, then no additional information will be required to vote by mail.

16

Voter Registration Purging

Once properly registered to vote in Tennessee, a person remains permanently registered unless the election commission must remove the registration from its records as a result of acts that require purging a voter (see §2-2-105, 2-2-106, and ).

The registration of a voter shall be purged:

1. Upon receipt of a request to purge by the voter. 2. Upon learning that a voter has had a name change for ninety (90) days or more, except by

marriage, and the voter has failed to notify the election commission. 3. Upon the death of the voter. 4. Upon receiving official confirmation that the voter has been convicted of an infamous

crime as defined in §40-20-112. 5. Upon written confirmation that the voter has moved outside the county of registration or

has registered to vote in another jurisdiction. 6. If the voter fails to respond to a confirmation notice, and if the voter fails to otherwise

elections following the date the notice was first sent.

ATTENTION _____________ COUNTY ELECTION COMMISSION

Mail, fax or email completed request to your local county election commission

I formally “Request an Absentee Ballot” based upon the following information. 1) PRINT NAME ______________________________________________________________ 2) ADDRESS ON VOTER REGISTRATION ___________________________________________________ 3) MAIL MY ABSENTEE BALLOT TO THIS ADDRESS ________________________________________ 4) MY SOCIAL SECURITY # IS _________________________________________________ 5) MY DATE OF BIRTH IS _____________________________________________________ 6) I WISH TO VOTE IN THE __________________________________ Election 7) MY LEGAL REASON FOR VOTING ABSENTEE (Check One) ____ I am over 60 years of age. ____ I will be outside of this county during all hours of early voting and Election Day (must include mailing address

outside county to mail absentee ballot) ____ I am enrolled as a full-time student (or I am the spouse of a student) at an institution inside Tennessee and

outside the county where I am registered. ____ I am on the permanent absentee voting register. ____ I am a voter with a disability and my polling place is inaccessible. ____ I reside in a licensed facility, outside the county, providing relatively permanent domiciliary care (Nursing

Home). ____ I am hospitalized, ill or physically disabled and because of such condition, I am unable to appear at my

polling place for this election. ____ I am a caretaker of a person who is hospitalized, ill or physically disabled. ____ I am a candidate. ____ I am on jury duty in a state or federal court. ____ I am serving as an election official or a member or employee of the election commission on election day. ____ I am observing a religious holiday that prevents me from voting early or on election day. ____ I have a Commercial Drivers License, will be out of county during the open hours of early voting & Election

Day, & have no specific out-of-county or out-of-state address to receive mail during this time. ***My CDL # is ______________________

8) SIGNATURE OF VOTER __________________________________________________ If voter is unable to sign their name, or receives assistance with this form, the person assisting and one witness must also sign their name and address. 1.____________________________________________________________________________ Name and address of person assisting 2.____________________________________________________________________________ Name and address of person witnessing ============================================================================ FOR _____________ COUNTY ELECTION OFFICE USE: (Circle One) This Request has been: Approved - Rejected on ___________ by _______________ Voting Precinct/District _____________ Application Signature verified on ________by____________ Ballot Sent _______ Ballot Rcvd ________ Ballot Affidavit Signature verified on_______by________

All voters must present an ID, meeting the requirements below, containing the voter’s name and photograph, whether voting early or on Election Day. Any of the following IDs may be used, even if expired:

• Tennessee driver license with your photo • United States Passport • Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security photo ID • Photo ID issued by the federal or Tennessee state government, such as an employee ID from

the U.S. Department of Energy with your photo • United States Military photo ID, including a Veteran Identification Card • Tennessee handgun carry permit card with your photo

What forms of photo ID are NOT acceptable?

• College student photo IDs • Privately issued photo IDs, such as your discount club or bank card with your photo • Photo IDs issued by other states or by county or city governments, including library cards

Who is exempt?

• Voters who vote absentee by mail (view requirements at http://www.tn.gov/sos/election/bymail.htm) • Voters who are residents of a licensed nursing home or assisted living center and who vote at

the facility • Voters who are hospitalized • Voters with a religious objection to being photographed • Voters who are indigent and unable to obtain a photo ID without paying a fee

What if I do not bring a photo ID to the polling place?

• If you do not bring a photo ID, you will vote a provisional ballot. • You will then have until two (2) business days after Election Day to return to the election

commission office to show a valid photo ID. What if I do not have a photo ID?

• You may obtain a free photo ID to vote from the Department of Safety and Homeland Security at a driver service center. You will need proof of citizenship (such as a birth certificate), two proofs of Tennessee residency (such as a voter registration card, utility bill, vehicle registration/title, or bank statement), and if your name differs from that on your primary ID, proof of the changed name (such as certified marriage certificate, divorce decree, certified court order, etc.).

• If you do not have a photo on your driver’s license and no other form of valid photo ID, you may visit a driver service center to have your photo added to your license for free upon request.

• You may use the “express service” line at the driver service center to obtain your photo ID to minimize wait times.

• NOTE: If you already have a valid government-issued photo ID, the Department of Safety will not issue a free photo ID to you.

• Visit http://www.tn.gov/safety/photoids.shtml for more information. Where can I find out more information?

• Call or visit your county election commission, or • Visit our website at http://www.GoVoteTN.com

Please notify your county election commission if your address changes.

Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett

Division of Elections 312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue, 7th Floor • Nashville, TN 37243

Mark Goins, Coordinator of Elections Phone: 1-877-850-4959

Updated April 2013