(Intro)

Hello, the entire state of Tennessee. Before you can vote you have to be registered to vote. If you're not sure if you're registered already, you can check using the link in the description. And if you find out that you are not registered yet, or you need to update your name or address, you'll need to fill out a registration form. The only way to register in Tennessee is by mail, on a piece of paper, with a stamp and everything, which I know is kind of a pain, but you can print off the form online using the link below and mail it in by October 11th if you want to be registered in time for the November presidential election. Otherwise, you can find a paper application at a public library, a County Election Commission office, or a County Clerk's office if you don't have access to a printer. Once you register, you get to go vote.

In certain situations, you can vote absentee by mail, like if you'll be out of state on election day. And that includes if you're a student in another state but would prefer to vote in Tennessee. If you're over 60, or you have an illness, or disability, or religious belief that prevents you from going to the polls, you can also vote absentee. If any of those apply to you, you will need to type out your name, address, social security number, date of birth, address you want your ballot mailed to, the election you want to participate in, in this case the State and Federal General Election on November 8th, and the reason you want to vote absentee. Then you need to sign that document and mail it or email it to your county's election commissioner. A link to their contact information is in the description. Yes. There's no form. You just have to send them a letter. You can request your ballot any time between now and November 1st, but the sooner you get your request in, the sooner you will get your ballot and the longer you will have to look it over, research candidates, and vote before you send it in by November 8th.

For everybody else, if you want to vote early, you'll need to do it in person. From October 19th to November 3rd, any registered voter can skip the election day lines and vote at a county election commission office or satellite voting location. The hours and locations vary by county, so check your county's elections website before you go. You can also find out more about voting early on Tennessee's voter information app. It's called GoVoteTN and it's a good resource to find your polling places and times as well as a sample ballot, and there's a link in the description to where you can download it.

If you want to vote in person on November 8th, election day, you can find out where you need to go to vote in the app or using the link in the description. Polls are open from 7 am to 7 pm if you live in the Central Time part of Tennessee, 8 am to 8 pm if you're in Eastern Time. You'll need to bring an ID with you, like a Tennessee driver's license, state ID, military ID, handgun carry permit, or passport. If you don't have any of those, you can get a free voter ID at a Driver Services Center. There's a link to those locations below.

I also suggest you check out your County Election Commission's website or the GoVoteTN app to look at a sample ballot that tells you everything you're gonna be able to vote for this election. You don't have to vote for every single item on the ballot. You can leave things blank if you want to, but local elections can be very important, so it's worth checking out what's on there ahead of time. You can even print out a sample ballot and bring it with you to the polls so you don't forget how you wanted to vote. All the links you need to check your registration, to register, to vote early, to find your polling location, and get a sample ballot are in the description below. Thank you for voting.