Though I do have strong opinions about who the best choices are in the upcoming state and federal general election, that’s not what this column is about. I’m writing, instead, to answer some commonly asked questions and —I hope—correct some voting misinformation that’s floating around on social media and elsewhere.
Many thanks to Putnam County Administrator of Elections Jennifer Murphy for her help in answering complicated questions in a way that’s easy to understand.
If you live in Tennessee and want to vote in the upcoming election, make certain you’re registered to vote before the October 5 deadline passes. You may register in person at your local election office or online at govotetn.gov. You may also register at the Department of Safety, the Health Department, the Department of Human Services and several other places.
Do it soon. Because if you’re not registered, you can’t vote. In-person early voting begins on October 14 and ends on October 29. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3.
Now for the part that seems really hard for a lot of voters. How does a person go about acquiring and voting an absentee ballot (also called a mail-in ballot) in Tennessee? First—as I said a couple of paragraphs ago—make sure you’re registered. Then you must submit an application to receive an absentee ballot.
Who’s legally allowed to vote absentee in Tennessee? Voters who are at least 60 years old. Voters who’ll be outside their county of residence during all hours of early voting and all hours on Election Day. (This could include members of the military, full-time students, those who hold a CDL or TWIC card and others.) Voters who are hospitalized, ill or physically disabled. When in doubt as to whether you qualify for voting an absentee ballot, contact your local election office right away.
You may pick up an application for absentee ballot in person at the election office. You may call and request that one be mailed to you. Or you may print off an application from the website. The application for ballot may be mailed, emailed or returned in person, but it must be in the hands of election office personnel at least ten days before November 3.
Once the application for ballot is received and approved, an absentee ballot will be mailed to the voter’s address. The ballot should be filled out completely as soon as possible and then returned as soon as possible.
Here’s the part I wish I could underline or type in boldface and all caps. Despite what you may have seen on social media or elsewhere on the internet, there are no ballot drop boxes in Tennessee. Not in front of libraries or grocery stores or hospitals or anywhere else. This state does not use ballot drop boxes. The second thing you need to know is that your absentee ballot cannot be returned in person, by you or anyone else, to the election office. It must be mailed in. This requires affixing a first-class stamp to the provided envelope and mailing it via the U.S. postal service. The ballot must arrive on or before Election Day. If it doesn’t, it won’t be counted.
Given possible election shenanigans some folks are worried about, is your ballot safe going through the mail? There’s no way to know for sure. But anyone who’s part of the process does know this: As is true of many things in life, it’s best not to drag your feet. Study the issues now. Listen to what the candidates have to say now. If you plan to vote absentee, get an application for ballot now. Fill that application out and turn it back in now. When you receive your ballot, vote and mail it back just as quickly as you can.
Because waiting until the last minute to do these things could very well mean your vote won’t count. And that would be a crying shame.
(September 19, 2026)