Absentee Voting
This Absentee Voting By-Mail information applies to:
Early Voting,also known as Absentee Voting In-Person, applies to any Registered Voter who may vote in person at any Early Voting Site within Davidson County
Voting Absentee by Mail
Military and Overseas Voting
Davidson County Election Commission
P.O. Box 650
Nashville, TN 37202-0650
Fax: (615) 880-1729
IMPORTANT DATES FOR ELECTIONS:
| 90 Days Prior to Election | This is the first date the Davidson County Election Commission may receive request for absentee ballots to be voted by mail. |
7 Days Prior to Election |
This is the last possible date that the Davidson County Election Commission can receive a completed application and mail out an absentee ballot. |
Absentee Ballots, Questions and Answers
- What is absentee voting?
Absentee voting is a voting method that involves voting on a day earlier than the actual Election Day.
Tennessee has two forms of absentee voting:
- Absentee in-person, which is better known as Early Voting, and
- Absentee by-mail, which is commonly called By-Mail Voting.
- Who may apply to vote absentee?
To vote as an Early Voter, a registered voter may vote without giving a reason during the established Early Voting period. The Early Voting period typically begins twenty (20) days before an election and ends five (5) days before an election. In those instances in a city election where there is not ANY opposition on the ballot, Early Voting begins ten (10) days before the election.
- The voter will be outside the county of registration during the Early Voting period and all day on Election Day;
- The voter or the voter’s spouse is enrolled as a full-time student in an accredited college or university outside the county of registration;
- The voter’s licensed physician has filed a statement with the county election commission stating that, in the physician's judgment, the voter is medically unable to vote in person. The statement must be filed not less than five (5) days before the election and signed under the penalty of perjury;
- The voter resides in a licensed facility providing relatively permanent domiciliary care, other than a penal institution, outside the voter's county of residence;
- The voter will be unable to vote in person due to service as a juror for a federal or state court;
- The voter is sixty-five (65) years of age or older;
- The voter has a physical disability and an inaccessible polling place;
- The voter is hospitalized, ill, or physically disabled and because of such condition, cannot vote in person;
- The voter is a caretaker of a person who is hospitalized, ill or disabled;
- The voter is a candidate for office in the election;
- The voter serves as an election day official or as a member or employee of the election commission;
- The voter’s observance of a religious holiday prevents him or her from voting in person during the early voting period and on Election Day;
- The voter possesses a valid commercial driver license and certifies that he or she will be working outside the state or county of registration during the early voting period and all day on Election Day;
- The voter is a member of the military or is an overseas citizen.
- What is the process for requesting the By-Mail ballot?
A registered voter may request a By-Mail ballot by simply writing to the voter’s local county election commission office and making such a request over the voter’s signature. The request may be mailed or faxed to the county election commission office. Upon receipt of the request, the local election commission will mail an application for ballot to the voter.
However, if the voter wants to expedite the application process, the voter may place the following information in the request for ballot:
- The name of the registered voter;
- The address of the voter's residence;
- The voter's social security number;
- The voter’s telephone number;
- The voter’s date of birth;
- The address to mail the ballot outside the county (this applies only when the reason for voting by mail involves that the voter will be outside of the county during Early Voting and on Election Day);
- The election the voter wishes to participate in. If the election involves a primary, the political party in which the voter wishes to participate;
- The reason the voter wishes to vote absentee; and
- The voter’s signature.
A request that contains this information will be treated and processed as an application for ballot, and a ballot will be mailed to the voter. You may also visit our website at www.nashville.gov/vote in the menu on the left-hand side, the item Absentee Request Form may be downloaded and filled out.
- Is any additional information required for individuals who have registered to vote by mail?
Unless an individual, who has registered to vote By-Mail, is on the permanent absentee voting register, that person must appear In-Person to vote in the first election after the registration becomes effective. If a By-Mail registrant has already voted in person since the registration, then no additional information will be required to vote By-Mail
- How can a person vote who possesses a valid commercial driver license and who will be working outside the county of registration during the early voting period and all day Election Day?
If the voter possesses a valid commercial driver license and does not have a specific out-of-county or out-of-state location to which mail may be sent or received during the Early Voting or Election Day hours, the voter may:
- Complete an application to vote absentee By-Mail at the voter's county election commission office; or
- Send a written request that contains the information discussed in question number 3;
- Provide the commercial driver license number on the voter's current commercial driver license;
- Provide the voter’s current residential address and any mailing address to which the ballot shall be mailed.
- When may a registered voter apply to vote By-Mail?
A registered voter may request an application for By-Mail ballot no earlier than ninety (90) days before the election and no later than seven (7) days before the election. To be processed for the next election, the application must be received by the election commission no later than five (5) days before the election.
- To be counted, when must the ballot be received by the election commission?
The county election commission must receive the ballot By-Mail no later than the close of polls on Election Day. Once the election commission issues an absentee By-Mail ballot to a voter, the voter can only vote by mail.
- What if I do not receive or ruin my ballot and can no longer use it?
If a voter notifies the election commission that he or she has “spoiled” a ballot or has not received the ballot, the election commission shall note on the records that subsequent supplies have been sent and supply the voter with subsequent voting supplies.
- What if I do not provide all of the information required on the By-Mail ballot application?
The county election commission will reject the application and return the application to the voter immediately by mail to be completed and returned again.
- Can the ballot be hand delivered?
No. The By-Mail ballot must be received by the county election commission office through the postal mail.
IMPORTANT DATES FOR ELECTIONS
MILITARY AND OVERSEAS VOTERS
| DATE | EVENT |
|---|---|
N/A |
This is the first date the Davidson County Election Commission can begin receiving applications for military personnel, their spouses, and their family members, and qualified voters temporarily outside the territorial limits of the U.S. and the District of Columbia. |
N/A |
This is the deadline for receiving Form 76 request from military and civilians outside the U.S. for the upcoming election. |
7 Days Prior to |
This is the last possible date that the Commission can |
Once the election ballots are printed, and the Form 76 is received and reviewed by the Davidson County Election Commission, a ballot will be mailed to the voter.
Ballots will be mailed out no earlier than 45 days prior to the election date.
Completed ballots MUST be mailed back to the Davidson County Election Commission.
Faxed copies are not accepted.
Completed ballot MUST be received by Davidson County Election Commission by the Close of the polls on Election Day.
- Who may apply to vote absentee as a military or overseas voter?
- MILITARY PERSONNEL: Persons who are United States citizens, residents of Tennessee and a members of the Uniformed Services (i.e., armed forces personnel) and their family members.
“Armed forces personnel” is defined as members of the navy, air force, marine corps, coast guard, environmental science service administration, public health service or the United States, or members of the merchant marine of the United States, and their spouses and dependents.
- CIVILIANS OUTSIDE U.S.: Persons who are United States citizens, residents of Tennessee, and who are currently residing overseas.
- OVERSEAS CITIZENS: A United States citizen who resides outside the U.S. and but for living outside the U.S., would be qualified to vote in Tennessee.
- PERSONS BORN OVERSEAS: A person who has never lived in the U.S., but has a parent who is eligible to vote in Tennessee may vote in Tennessee if the same voting residence claimed by the parent.
- Must I already be a registered voter to vote in Tennessee pursuant to this provision?
No, if you meet the qualifications to register to vote in Tennessee but have not registered prior to requesting an absentee ballot and you fall into one of the above categories, your application to absentee ballot will be treated as an application for temporary registration. Normally, an individual who registers to vote by mail must appear in person in the first election the person votes in after such registration becomes effective. This provision is waived in the case of military personnel, their family members, or overseas citizens. However, since this is only a temporary registration, once you are no longer eligible to vote under this provision of the law, you must complete a voter registration form and submit the form to your local county election commission prior to voting in subsequent election.
If you are a registered voter prior to requesting an absentee ballot under this provision, the above information does not apply to you.
- When may a registered voter or individual who meets the above requirements apply to vote by absentee Ballot?
Applications may be received no earlier than January 1 of the year in which the election is to be held unless the election is to be held less than ninety (90) days after January 1 of the calendar year. In that case, the application may be received no earlier than ninety (90) days before the election and not less than five (5) days before the election.
- What is the process for requesting an absentee ballot?
An individual who meets the above requirements may request an absentee ballot by completing a Federal Post Card application, also known as a “Form 76 or FPCA”
The Federal Voting Assistance Program provides an online version of the Form 76 the voter may complete and send to the local county election commission, for Davidson County go to Form 76 application and download the application. Complete all required information and return by fax or mail.
- How do I submit the request of application to my local commission?
Since the form requires the voter’s signature, the form must be mailed or faxed to the local county election commission. A form may be faxed only if the election commission office has a fax machine physically located in its office. The form may not be submitted via e-mail.
- To be counted, when must the voted ballot be received by the county election commission?
The voted ballot must be received By-Mail by the close of the polls on Election Day. Once an absentee ballot has been issued, the voter must vote By-Mail. If the ballot is rejected, the registered voter will be notified that the ballot was rejected and why the ballot was rejected.
- Must I submit an application for each election in the upcoming year?
No, pursuant to the Help America Vote Act, request for absentee ballots made after January 1, 2004 receive absentee ballots for the next subsequent election for Federal offices in the State through the next two general elections. General elections are held every two years in even years in November.
Example: If a registered voter requests an absentee ballot April 2004, the registered voter will receive absentee ballots for all elections through November 2006.
Note that it is the voter’s responsibility to keep the local county election office informed of any change of address. The ballots will be mailed to the address that is originally submitted to the local county office until further notice from the voter.
- What if I do not receive or ruin my ballot and can no longer use it?
If a voter notifies the election commission that he or she has “spoiled” a ballot or has not received a Ballot, the election commission shall note on the records that subsequent supplies have been sent and supply the voter with subsequent voting supplies.
After requesting an official absentee ballot, Armed Forces personnel and overseas voters who feel that there may not be a sufficient amount of time to receive and the return the voted ballot may also use a Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB).
Note: If both ballots are received prior to the close of the polls on Election Day, the county election commission will count the official ballot it provided the voter.
- What if I do not provide all the information required on the By-Mail ballot application?
The county election commission will reject the application and return the application to the Voter immediately By-Mail to be completed and returned again.