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. 

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Can you vote by mail in Tennessee? What to know before Election Day