Early Voting in Tennessee
Early voting for the November 3, 2026 election runs from Wednesday, October 14, 2026 through Thursday, October 29, 2026. Any registered voter may vote early, for any reason or none.
Early voting runs October 14 through October 29, 2026
| What | When |
|---|---|
| Voter registration deadline | |
| Absentee ballot request deadline | |
| Early voting | through |
| Election Day |
Tennessee opens early voting 20 days before an election and closes it five days before. You must already be registered: early voting is a way to cast a ballot, not a way to register. The registration deadline is Monday, October 5, 2026, which falls before early voting begins. How to register.
How early voting works
- No excuse is needed. This is the practical difference between early voting and voting absentee by mail. Early voting is open to any registered voter purely for convenience; voting by mail requires a reason set by state law.
- You vote in person. At your county election commission office, or at any satellite early voting location your county opens.
- Saturdays are included. The Secretary of State states that a voter may vote early on any Saturday that falls in the early voting period. Sites are closed on holidays.
- You can fix your address while you are there. A voter who has moved within the county can change their address of registration and vote at the same location during early voting.
- Bring photo ID. The same rules apply as on Election Day.
Locations and hours vary by county
Your early voting site is often not the same building as your Election Day polling place. Look up both with the Secretary of State voter lookup tool, or contact your county election commission directly.
- 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
What to bring
A federal or Tennessee state photo ID showing your name and photograph. It may be expired. A Tennessee driver license, a United States passport, a state or federal government photo ID, a military photo ID, or a Tennessee handgun carry permit with your photo are all accepted. College student IDs, out-of-state IDs, and city or county IDs are not. Full ID rules from the Secretary of State.
Common questions
When is early voting in Tennessee for the 2026 general election?
Early voting runs October 14 through October 29, 2026, from Wednesday, October 14, 2026 through Thursday, October 29, 2026.
Do I need a reason to vote early in Tennessee?
No. Early voting is open to any registered voter for convenience. That is the main difference between early voting and voting absentee by mail, which requires a reason set by state law.
Where do I vote early in my county?
At your county election commission office or at any satellite early voting location your county opens. Locations and hours are set county by county and are not uniform across Tennessee, so confirm them with your county election commission before you go.
Can I vote early on a Saturday?
Yes. The Secretary of State states that a person may vote early on any Saturday that falls within the early voting period. Early voting locations are closed on holidays.
What do I need to bring to vote early?
A federal or Tennessee state photo ID showing your name and photograph. It may be expired. The same ID rules apply to early voting and to Election Day.
More voting information
Sources
- Tennessee Secretary of State: how to early vote in person
- Tennessee Secretary of State: elections calendar and key dates
- Tennessee Secretary of State: voter ID requirements
- Tennessee Secretary of State: voter lookup
- Tennessee Secretary of State: county election commissions
Dates on this page were verified against the Tennessee Secretary of State on August 8, 2026. Check the state election calendar.