How to Vote in Tennessee
Tennessee holds its state and federal general election on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Make your plan in a minute: where you vote, how, when, and every race on your ballot.
Your plan
Make your voting plan
1Where do you vote?
2How will you vote?
Your voting plan
Start with your ZIP code or county. Your plan builds here: where to go, what to bring, what is on your ballot, and a calendar reminder.
Key dates
Where every deadline stands today
| What | When | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Voter registration deadlineClosed | Last day to register, or to update your address, for this election. | |
| Absentee ballot request deadlineClosed | Your county must receive your written request by this day. An excuse is required. | |
| Early votingEnded | through | No excuse needed. Any registered voter may vote early. Hours and locations are set by your county. |
| Election DayIn 3 days | Polls are open statewide. Bring a federal or Tennessee state photo ID. |
Your ballot
On every Tennessee ballot
Every Tennessee voter sees the governor’s race and one United States Senate seat, with every name the state certified:
- Marsha BlackburnRepublican
- Jerri GreenDemocratic
- and 13 independents
- Bill HagertyRepublican
- Marquita BradshawDemocratic
- and 8 independents
Also on every Tennessee ballot: three constitutional amendments
Each is a yes-or-no question listed right after the governor’s race. Read all three, word for word, and how they pass.
Beyond those two races and the amendments, your ballot depends on where you live:
- United States House. All nine Tennessee seats. Tennessee redrew its congressional district boundaries in May 2026, so your district may have changed even if you have not moved.
- Tennessee Senate. The odd-numbered districts only. The state staggers Senate terms, so roughly half the chamber is elected each cycle and many counties have no state Senate race this year.
- Tennessee House of Representatives. All districts.
- Local races and referendums. Some counties and cities hold elections on the same day. Your county election commission publishes the full ballot.
Find your county at the top of this page for every race on your county’s ballot, or see every county’s districts. Your exact ballot depends on your address: the state’s GoVoteTN lookup shows your sample ballot.
Your options
Three ways to cast a ballot
Vote early, in person
October 14 through October 29, 2026
Ended
No reason required. Any registered voter may vote early.
Vote absentee, by mail
Request by October 24, 2026
Requests closed
Tennessee requires an excuse. Not every voter qualifies.
Vote on Election Day
November 3, 2026
In 3 days
At your assigned polling place, with photo ID.
Voting on Election Day
Polls are open across Tennessee on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Polling place hours are set locally and your polling place is assigned by address, so confirm both with the voter lookup tool or your county election commission before Election Day. Your early voting site is not necessarily your Election Day polling place.
Find your county
Registration deadlines and early voting dates are the same in all 95 Tennessee counties. Everything else, including early voting locations, their hours, and your ballot below the statewide races, is run by your county election commission.
- Anderson
- Bedford
- Benton
- Bledsoe
- Blount
- Bradley
- Campbell
- Cannon
- Carroll
- Carter
- Cheatham
- Chester
- Claiborne
- Clay
- Cocke
- Coffee
- Crockett
- Cumberland
- Davidson
- Decatur
- DeKalb
- Dickson
- Dyer
- Fayette
- Fentress
- Franklin
- Gibson
- Giles
- Grainger
- Greene
- Grundy
- Hamblen
- Hamilton
- Hancock
- Hardeman
- Hardin
- Hawkins
- Haywood
- Henderson
- Henry
- Hickman
- Houston
- Humphreys
- Jackson
- Jefferson
- Johnson
- Knox
- Lake
- Lauderdale
- Lawrence
- Lewis
- Lincoln
- Loudon
- Macon
- Madison
- Marion
- Marshall
- Maury
- McMinn
- McNairy
- Meigs
- Monroe
- Montgomery
- Moore
- Morgan
- Obion
- Overton
- Perry
- Pickett
- Polk
- Putnam
- Rhea
- Roane
- Robertson
- Rutherford
- Scott
- Sequatchie
- Sevier
- Shelby
- Smith
- Stewart
- Sullivan
- Sumner
- Tipton
- Trousdale
- Unicoi
- Union
- Van Buren
- Warren
- Washington
- Wayne
- Weakley
- White
- Williamson
- Wilson
Common questions
When is the 2026 general election in Tennessee?
The Tennessee state and federal general election is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Polls are open statewide on that day, and you may also vote early in person from October 14 through October 29, 2026.
What is the deadline to register to vote in Tennessee?
Monday, October 5, 2026. Tennessee requires you to be registered no later than 30 days before an election. A registration mailed to your county election commission counts if it is postmarked by that date.
Do I need a photo ID to vote in Tennessee?
Yes. Voters at the polls, whether early or on Election Day, must present a federal or Tennessee state photo ID showing their name and photograph. The ID may be expired. College student IDs, out-of-state IDs and city or county IDs are not accepted. Voters who vote absentee by mail, and residents of a licensed nursing home or assisted living center who vote at the facility, are exempt.
Can anyone vote by mail in Tennessee?
No. Tennessee requires an excuse to vote absentee by mail, and you must fall into one of the categories set by state law, such as being 60 or older, being outside your county for the entire voting period, or being hospitalized, ill or disabled. Your county must receive your written request by Saturday, October 24, 2026.
What is on the ballot in Tennessee in 2026?
Statewide, the ballot includes governor, one United States Senate seat, all nine United States House seats, the odd-numbered Tennessee Senate districts and all Tennessee House districts. Some counties and cities also hold local elections on the same day.
Sources
- Tennessee Secretary of State: elections calendar and key dates
- Tennessee Secretary of State: how to register to vote
- Tennessee Secretary of State: how to early vote in person
- Tennessee Secretary of State: guide to absentee voting
- Tennessee Secretary of State: voter ID requirements
- Tennessee Secretary of State: voter lookup and polling place finder
- Tennessee Secretary of State: GoVoteTN, early voting sites, polling places and sample ballots
Dates on this page were verified against the Tennessee Secretary of State on October 15, 2026. Check the state election calendar.