(a) A qualified voter may register or have the voter’s registration altered at the commission office at any time the office is open, except that applications for registration shall not be processed for twenty-nine (29) days before an election, except as provided in subsection (b); provided, that a qualified voter may file a mail registration form by postmarking the registration form or submitting the registration form thirty (30) days before an election. A mail registration form lacking a postmark, but signed and dated at least thirty (30) days before an election, shall be timely filed if it is received by the county election commission no later than the twenty-seventh day prior to the election. A qualified voter may correct a deficient but timely filed mail registration form if the voter files a completed registration application or otherwise corrects the deficiency on or before the next regularly scheduled November general election. The administrator of elections shall register the person to vote if the person is otherwise eligible to register. Deficient registrations not corrected on or before the next regularly scheduled November general election shall no longer be considered deficient and shall be void. The administrator shall be empowered to update an existing registration until no later than five (5) days before an election to place it within the correct precinct in the county when a voter changes the voter’s address through the process described in § 2-7-140.
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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 2-2-109

  • Administrator of elections: means the chief administrative officer appointed by the county election commission. See Tennessee Code 2-2-101
  • Commission: means the county election commission unless another intent is clearly shown. See Tennessee Code 2-2-101
  • Person: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • signed: includes a mark, the name being written near the mark and witnessed, or any other symbol or methodology executed or adopted by a party with intention to authenticate a writing or record, regardless of being witnessed. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(b) When the thirtieth day before an election falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, applications for registration shall be accepted and processed the next business day following such Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday. This extends the deadline for applications for registration completed at the county election commission office as well as the deadline for having a by-mail registration form postmarked.
(c) When elections are being held in two (2) or more voting districts within any county, the time period for such registration or alteration of permanent registration records shall be calculated for each election separately, and such registration or alteration of permanent registration records is not prohibited in one (1) election because it is twenty-nine (29) days prior to another within the same county.
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