Tennessee

Want to vote by mail in Tennessee? Who’s eligible and how to request absentee ballot

Published

9 months ago

February 23, 2024

Want to vote by mail in Tennessee? Who’s eligible and how to request absentee ballot

If you’re a new voter, or a recent transplant to Tennessee, it can be hard to keep up to date on the state’s voting guidelines. And its absentee ballot rules are especially confusing.

Every state provides for some method for voters to cast ballots without visiting a physical polling place, whether it’s referred to as absentee voting, voting by mail all-mail voting or voting from home. Eight states offer automatic mail-in ballot systems with voting conducted primarily, although not necessarily exclusively, by mail.

Tennessee, however, has a “request-required” mail-in ballot system where eligible voters have to initiate the process for receiving and casting mail-in ballots. And not every voter is eligible to vote by mail. According to the Tennessee Secretary of State website, Tennessee law allows for absentee voting only under certain circumstances.

Who qualifies to receive an absentee ballot in Tennessee?

If you are a Tennessee resident, you can vote absentee by-mail if you fall into one of the following categories:

You are 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. A physician’s statement is not required.
You are the caretaker of a person who is hospitalized, ill, or disabled.
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 or Transportation Worker Identification Credential 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.

What is the deadline to request an absentee ballot?

While it’s too late to register to vote in the March 5 primary, the current deadline to request an absentee ballot is Feb. 27.

But, as Knox County Administrator of Elections Chris Davis cautioned, waiting until that deadline could mean you don’t receive your ballot in time to get it back to the elections office by Election Day.

In the last election, 32 people requested absentee ballots on the last possible day, Davis said. Only two of those were returned in time, he said.

What is the process to request an absentee ballot?

You must submit a written request to your local county election commission office by the seventh day before Election Day. You can use the absentee ballot request formto make sure all required information is provided.

You can submit your written request for an absentee ballot by mail, fax or e-mail. If e-mailing your request, be sure the attached document contains the information below and your scanned signature:

Name of the registered voter
Address of the voter’s residence
Voter’s Social Security number
Voter’s date of birth
Address to mail the ballot
The election in which the voter wishes to participate. If the election involves a primary, the political party in which the voter wishes to participate.
Reason the voter wishes to vote absentee. If applicable, a copy of the CDL containing the CDL number or the TWIC card must be included in the voter’s request.
Voter’s signature

A request that contains this information will be processed and a ballot will be mailed to the voter.

How do you vote with the absentee ballot?

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.

You must return your ballot by mail (USPS, FedEx, UPS, etc.). Hand delivery or handing it to a poll worker during early voting or on Election Day is not permitted.

What if I don’t get my mail-in ballot in time?

If you do not receive your ballot, or ruin your ballot and can no longer use it, you should notify your county election commission.

Can I change my mind and vote in person?

Under Tennessee law, once you have requested an absentee ballot, you cannot vote in person for that election, except by provisional ballot, said Doug Kufner, Communications Director for the Office of Tennessee Secretary of State.

So while there is no specific provision in place for those who change their mind, if you decide you would rather vote in person, you will be allowed to cast a provisional ballot.

“We don’t want anybody to be disenfranchised,” Davis said, adding that each county will always have provisional ballots on hand.

Provisional ballots are meant to be a fail-safe mechanism for voters who arrive at the polls on Election Day and whose eligibility to vote is uncertain. They typically are kept separate until it can be determined if the person was eligible to vote and their mail-in ballot was not received.

Liz Kellar is a Tennessee Connect reporter. Email liz.kellar@knoxnews.com. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

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Tennessee

Analyst Slams Titans, Aaron Rodgers Rumors

Published

34 mins ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

Analyst Slams Titans, Aaron Rodgers Rumors

The Tennessee Titans have to figure out what they’re going to do at the quarterback position moving forward.

Will Levis showed flashes of big-time potential during his rookie season last year. Unfortunately, in year two, he has taken a huge step back and shown a lot of regression.

That has led to questions about his future with the team.

Recently, it has been suggested that Aaron Rodgers could end up being a potential target for the Titans if they’re looking for another quarterback.

It’s widely expected that Rodgers will part ways with the New York Jets in the offseason. Some speculation has even suggested that he could cut ties with the Jets during the 2024 season.

With that being said, Mike Moraitis of The Sporting News has slammed the rumors of Rodgers being a potential target for Tennessee.

“However, for the Titans to even consider bringing Rodgers in, they would have to be confident they are just a quarterback away and that Rodgers can put them over the top,” Moraitis wrote. “And, Rodgers would have to believe that the Titans are right there in terms of being a contender. Nothing we’ve seen from Rodgers or the Titans in 2024 has indicated any of those things are the case.”

He continued forward, revealing his thoughts on what the Titans should actually choose to do.

“What the Titans need to do is find their long-term solution under center and not a shaky bridge quarterback,” he wrote. “If Levis doesn’t rebound, Tennessee needs to get their guy in the 2025 NFL Draft, where they will have a high pick.”

Obviously, in an ideal world, Levis would bounce back strong down the stretch of the season. He could still very well do that and there is no denying the talent he possesses.

Bringing in Rodgers would be entertaining, but it wouldn’t change much about the outlook for the franchise. Depending on the price, they could consider signing Rodgers to a one or two-year deal and drafting a rookie. Starting Rodgers and letting a rookie learn from the sideline could make sense.

Even with that being a possibility, the idea of Rodgers to Tennessee just doesn’t make a ton of sense. Fans should not expect to see the Titans try to pursue Rodgers this offseason.

Make sure you bookmark Tennessee Titans on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

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Titans Predicted for Another Loss vs. Texans

Published

9 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

Titans Predicted for Another Loss vs. Texans

The Tennessee Titans are just one day away from their next matchup against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium.

The Titans are looking for their first win since Week 9, when they beat the New England Patriots at home. In the last two weeks, Tennessee has lost by double digits to strong playoff-contending teams, and this week might not be much different against the first-place Texans.

CBS Sports writer Pete Prisco believes the Titans’ struggles will continue, falling 31-21 to the Texans.

“The Texans are playing on a short week, but they looked better on offense against Dallas with Nico Collins back. The Titans will have trouble stopping them this week, so look for the Texans and C.J. Stroud to play well. Will Levis won’t keep up,” Prisco writes.

The Titans will have to stop Houston’s multi-dimensional offense with Joe Mixon on the ground and Collins and Tank Dell through the air. Tennessee has the No. 2 overall defense this season, so it should provide a good test for C.J. Stroud and the Texans offense, but it still doesn’t make them a favorite.

If the Titans want to win against the Texans, they will have to pressure Stroud and take advantage of their offensive line, which has proven to be suspect at times during the season.

When it comes to the Titans’ offense, it needs to take care of the ball. Giving the Texans shorter fields will be the easiest way to lose the game, so if the Titans can prevent the Texans from scoring up close on short drives, they will have a chance to be competitive against their division rival.

Kickoff between the Titans and Texans is set for 12 noon CT tomorrow. The game can be watched on CBS or streamed on Paramount+.

Make sure you bookmark Tennessee Titans on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

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Tennessee football commit Ethan Utley not looking ahead after Ensworth’s season ends vs McCallie

Published

17 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

Tennessee football commit Ethan Utley not looking ahead after Ensworth’s season ends vs McCallie

There was a reason Tennessee football commit Ethan Utley didn’t make any trips to Knoxville during the home stretch of Ensworth’s season.

Utley wanted to be fully locked into the Tigers’ TSSAA football playoffs run.

That’s one reason why Friday’s tearful postgame was so difficult. McCallie ended Ensworth’s season, defeating the Tigers 31-7 to advance to the Division II-AAA state final on Dec. 5 in Chattanooga against Baylor.

Utley, a 6-foot-4, 265-pound four-star defensive lineman, doesn’t know if he’ll enroll early at Tennessee yet. He hasn’t been thinking that far ahead. Everything lately, he said, was about the Tigers trying to reach their first TSSAA football state championship game since 2014.

“It hurts and it will hurt for a while. My mind was set on going to the state championship,” Utley said. “All the personal stuff, it doesn’t really matter. I knew Ensworth was going to be my home and where I would graduate from. I never wanted to transfer. My seniors and I gave it everything we could and just fell short.”

Ensworth (11-1) trailed just 7-0 at halftime. McCallie (10-2) began to put the game out of reach when Vanderbilt commitment Carson Lawrence returned an interception 44 yards for a touchdown to go up 21-7 with 10:46 left.

Utley, who appeared in all 45 of Ensworth’s games since the beginning of his freshman season, played through an injury most of the second half until the pain became too much. He said he was kneed in one of his nerves in his right shin. He was helped to the bench by Ensworth staffers late in the fourth quarter.

“I told myself if it has to end this way, I’m going to have to get dragged off this field,” Utley said. “And that’s what happened.”

Utley is the No. 3 prospect from Tennessee in the 2025 class and No. 21 defensive lineman nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite. He intends to sign with the Volunteers when the early period begins Dec. 4.

“He’s super athletic for his size, very smart,” Ensworth coach Tim Hasselbeck said. “Depending on how he wants to change his body in the weight room, how he eats, he’ll figure out what position he’ll play. I think he could play on either side of the ball. He’s got a very bright future.”

Utley was an easy teammate to get along with, Hasselbeck said. That’s where Utley’s focus was Friday as he hugged players on the field one last time.

But he knows a big stage awaits in Knoxville.

“I’m excited for the competition. I’m grateful to be able to go play Division I football in the SEC. Most kids can’t say they can go do that,” Utley said. “I’ve been through some hard times. For that to be my next step, I’m more than blessed. When I get healthy and get my body right, get back in that weight room, get back on the field and start attacking it more, I’ll start getting ready for the bigger things ahead.”

Get the latest news and insight on High School football recruiting and local high school sports with The Bootleg newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.

Reach sports writer George Robinson at georgerobinsontheleafchronicle.com and on the X platform (formerly Twitter) @Cville_Sports.

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