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Tennessee

Student-friendly residencyAbsentee requires excuse
Next election
Tennessee General Election
Nov 3, 2026
57
days away

Key dates for the Tennessee General Election

From Tennessee's official election information, last reviewed Jul 25, 2026. VoteU is an independent nonpartisan project, not a government site, so confirm anything time-critical on the official page below.

Election day, voter registration deadline, and absentee ballot request deadline for the Tennessee General Election
Election dayNov 3, 2026 (57 days away)
Register to vote byOct 5, 2026 (28 days away)
Request an absentee ballot byOct 24, 2026 (47 days away)

The absentee date above is the deadline to request a ballot. The deadline to return a completed ballot is set separately by Tennessee and is not tracked here. See how to request an absentee ballot as a student.

Register to vote
Official Tennessee portal
Tennessee Secretary of State
All official election info

VoteU Guide

Deadlines for registering to vote in Tennessee, straight from our data

Hey! I can help you figure out whether you can register to vote in Tennessee, what the deadlines are, and how to sign up. Try one of these:

Nonpartisan, and only quotes deadlines from VoteU's data. For legal edge cases, check with your county election office.

Upcoming elections

GeneralTN57 days away

Tennessee General Election

Nov 3, 2026

Open Governor's race, U.S. Senate, and three constitutional amendments. Register by Oct 5; absentee-by-mail requests by Oct 24. Early voting runs Oct 14-29. Tennessee requires an excuse to vote absentee, and being a full-time student outside the county where you are registered is one of them. Your ballot has to come back by mail: handing it in is not allowed.

GovernorU.S. SenateU.S. HouseState Legislature
On the ballot
  • Crime Victims' Rights (Marsy's Law) Amendment
    Replaces the current crime-victim protections with an expanded list of enforceable rights, including notification of proceedings and the right to be heard.
  • Bail Eligibility Amendment
    Expands the offenses for which a judge may deny bail when the presumption of guilt is great.
  • State Property Tax Ban Amendment
    Permanently prohibits the legislature from levying a statewide property tax.
For students: Vanderbilt, UT Knoxville and Memphis students can register at school, but most first-time voters who registered by mail must vote in person, so plan for early voting.
Register by
Oct 5, 2026 (28d)
Absentee by
Oct 24, 2026
+ CalendarRegister →

Voting from campus in Tennessee

Tennessee is flagged in VoteU's dataset as generally allowing students to register at their campus address. Confirm your own situation on the official page above.

Can I vote where I go to college?
What the law says about registering at a campus address
Campus address or home address?
A side by side comparison, and how to switch
How do I request an absentee ballot?
Five steps, plus the request deadline for every state
Can I use my student ID to vote?
The federal floor, and where to find your state's list