Oct. 9 – Tuesday – is the last day to register to vote in the 2018 midterm elections.
Given that county election commission offices likely are closed on weekends, that gives would-be voters only a couple of days next week to register in person.
Tennessee does provide an online voter registration process, an option suited for students who can’t miss classes but still want to register to vote. However, the deadline to register online is at least 30 days before an election, so Oct. 6-7 would be the final opportunity for that option.
Online registration requires the applicant to have a Tennessee driver’s license or ID card. To vote, applicants must be U.S. citizens, Tennessee residents and at least age 18 before the Nov. 6 election, according to the state Secretary of State website, sos.tn.gov.
A bright red link at the top of the website invites online registration. Click that link to walk through the process.
A number of other links provide lots of information for new voters, as well as for previous voters who need to change their address or check their assigned polling places. One link is for an app, GoVoteTN, that can be downloaded from the website.
For those who want to vote absentee, which likely applies to many students, the website includes a link to an interactive map of all Tennessee county election commission offices. The office in a student’s home county can provide more specific information on how to vote early or absentee.
Out-of-state students should first check their state election commission website, then the county sites, to find out their voting procedures.
Finally, check out the deadlines at right or call 877-850-4959 for more information.
Pacer Graphic / Katlyn Griffis
