Interested in voting by mail this November, but don't know how or if you're eligible?
Reporters from WBIR spoke with election administrators in East Tennessee to answer questions about absentee voting in the state. They answered some popular questions from voters below:
What is absentee voting?
It's an option for people who are eligible and registered to vote, but for some reason cannot do so in person. Instead, the local election commission mails a ballot to their home and that ballot is filled out, mailed in and counted the same as a ballot that was filled out in person at a polling location.
Who is eligible to vote by mail Tennessee?
The state says you can vote by mail if you fall under one of these categories:
- You are sixty (60) years of age or older.
- You will be outside the county where you are registered during the early voting period and all day on Election Day.
- You are hospitalized, ill or physically disabled and unable to appear at your polling place to vote. Voters who have an illness, physical disability or other underlying health condition that makes them especially vulnerable to COVID-19, and who, because of that condition, are unable to appear in the polling place on Election Day and instead wish to vote by-mail should check this box. A physician’s statement is not required to check this box.
- You are the caretaker of a person who is hospitalized, ill, or disabled. Voters who are the caretaker of someone with an illness, physical disability or other underlying health condition that makes a person you care for especially vulnerable to COVID-19, and who wish to vote by-mail should check this box. A physician’s statement is not required to check this box.
- You or your spouse are a full-time student in an accredited college or university outside the county where you are registered.
- You reside in a nursing home, assisted living facility or home for the aged outside your county of residence.
- You are a candidate for office in the election.
- You are observing a religious holiday that prevents you from voting in person during the early voting period and on Election Day.
- You serve as an Election Day official or as a member or employee of the election commission.
- You will be unable to vote in-person due to jury duty.
- You have a physical disability and an inaccessible polling place.
- You or your spouse possess a valid commercial drivers license (CDL) or Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) card and you will be working outside the state or county of registration during the open hours of early voting and Election Day and have no specific out-of-county or out-of-state address to which mail may be sent or received during such time.
- You are a member of the military or are an overseas citizen.
- You are on the permanent absentee list (see question 4 below).
Is wanting to avoid crowded polling locations an eligible reason to vote by mail?
A new ruling from a Nashville judge said the state must amend wording on the ballot request allowing those susceptible to contracting, or caring for someone with COVID-19, to vote by mail.
The ballot wording has already been changed on the state website, and must be updated on ballot requests early next week.
Can I register to vote online and then request a mail-in ballot?
You must do one of these things in person. Anderson County Election Administrator Mark Stephens said first time voters are required to physically register to vote, or if you register online you must vote in person for your first election.
This helps poll workers confirm your identity and adds an extra layer of protection against voter fraud.
How can I request a mail-in ballot if I don't have internet access?
You can call your county elections office and they can help you get a hard copy of the request form.
Do I have to request a mail-in ballot each election?
Yes. If voters want to vote absentee in multiple elections, you must fill out a ballot request form each time. The exception to this is if you are on the permanent absentee voter list, which requires a physician's approval.
Is there anywhere I can drop off my absentee ballot?
There are no ballot drop boxes in Tennessee. These ballots must be mailed in. Most counties will partner with a local post office branch, and voters can drop off their ballots directly with the postal workers before end-of-business on Election Day.
"They're very good as far as notifying us, in fact we got a call I think at 4:58 on Election Day that we had two ballots that were waiting and we went up and got those two," said Stephens.
He said in Anderson County, that's at the U.S. Post Office in Clinton. Knox County offered that service at the Weisgarber Road Post Office in August and may do so again in November.
What dates do I need to know for the November election?
- October 27: Deadline to request an absentee ballot
- October 15-29: Early voting
- November 3: Election Day