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Tennessee Election Laws You Should Know

Primary Elections

A great number of Tennessee Voters and several poll workers incorrectly believe that primary elections are just an early general election. This is not true. Primary Elections are mainly political party elections just administered by state/county election commissions. See TCA Chapter 13; 2-13-101 through 2-13-320

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Only United States Citizens May Legally Vote In Tennessee Elections For Federal Office.

This is required by the NVRA, a Federal Law applying to every state and is also a part of the Tennessee State Constitution as well as Tennessee Code 2-2-102.

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There is currently no law or regulation requiring proof or evidence of citizenship to register to vote! The NVRA prohibits Tennessee's ability change this. The requirement is mostly enforced by the "Honor System". When registering to vote a person must check a box saying they are a citizen of the United States but it is not legal to ask them for proof of citizenship at time of registration?

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With millions of foreign nationals crossing our borders and being given access all across the United States, combined with a Biden Executive Order 14019 for every Federal Agency to register voters, many of which do not know our laws or are fluent in English, there is a huge potential for non-citizens to register and vote.

Proof of Citizenship

There are many forms of identification used in Tennessee. Many of these are available to Legal Residents that are not citizens but make it appear as if they are.

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Social Security Numbers

Social Security Numbers are not proof of U.S. Citizenship. Several classes of legal residents are issued SSNs.

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Real ID

Real ID is proof of identification but not proof of citizenship. Legal residents that are not citizens are issued real ID

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Drivers License

Two types of drivers license are issued in Tennessee.

Drivers License; These are issued to Citizens and Non-Citizen legal residents.​

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Temporary Driver License; These are issued to Non-Citizens and those that do not provide proof of citizenship.

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Primary Elections

A great number of Tennessee Voters and several poll workers incorrectly believe that primary elections are just an early general election. This is not true. Primary Elections are mainly political party elections just administered by state/county election commissions. See TCA Chapter 13; 2-13-101 through 2-13-320

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TNFE Statement & Disclaimer:

TNFE is a network of citizens who are motivated to collaborate together for election integrity in Tennessee. That involves building state working groups and county task forces.We are citizens, moving together, contributing to statewide efforts through this coalition. The Election Integrity Network sponsor these state coalitions to educate and equip individuals and task forces in best practices for voter roll maintenance, citizen research, protecting vulnerable voters, and legislation. Only by working together can we hope to reclaim control over elections. If you are not a part of one of TNFE county task forces or connected to an EIN working group, please note that in the comments now and we will help you get connected. Note, that the work and partnership with EIN is monitored in order to ensure that we properly reflect and respect the EIN network and its affiliates. Also, we are not here to engage in debate or overt political comments about candidates or parties. Finally, TNFE encourages citizens to engage respectfully and lawfully with election commissioners and elected officials at all times.

Copyright 2023 Tennessee Fair Elections

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