How to Qualify for Absentee Voting
Eligibility for absentee voting is determined by state law. To vote absentee by-mail, a registered voter must fall under one of these categories:
- You are sixty (60) years of age or older.
- You are hospitalized, ill, or physically disabled and unable to appear at your polling place to vote.
- You are a caretaker of a hospitalized, ill, or physically disabled person.
- You will be outside Davidson County during the Early Voting period and all day on Election Day.
- You or your spouse are a full-time student at an accredited college or university outside Davidson County.
- You have a physical disability and an inaccessible polling place.
- You reside in a licensed nursing home, assisted living facility or home for the aged outside Davidson County.
- You are a candidate for office in the election.
- You will be unable to vote in person due to jury duty.
- You will be serving as an Election Day official or are a member or employee of the Davidson County Election Commission.
- You are observing a religious holiday that prevents you from voting in person during the Early Voting period and on Election Day.
- You are a member of the military or are an overseas citizen. Learn more about military and overseas citizen absentee voting at the Federal Voting Assistance Program website.
Note: If you reside in a licensed nursing home, assisted living facility, home for the aged, or an independent living facility on the same property as a licensed nursing home, assisted living facility, or home for the aged inside your county of residence, you may not vote absentee by-mail. Election officials will come to the facility to vote eligible residents, or you may vote during Early Voting or on Election Day.
A registered voter may submit an Absentee Ballot Request no earlier than ninety (90) days before the election and no later than ten (10) days before the election.
Track the date your ballot was issued and received at Voter Registration Lookup
Permanent Absentee Voters
To become a Permanent Absentee Voter and automatically have an Absentee Ballot Request form sent to you before every election:
- Complete the Permanent Absentee Voter form (instructions included).
- Your physician must complete the "Physician’s Statement" (included with the Permanent Absentee Voter form) certifying that, in the physician’s judgment, you are medically unable to vote in person.
More Information about Absentee Voting
Contact our Absentee Department at 615-862-8815 or [email protected] or read more about Absentee Voting at the Tennessee Secretary of State – Division of Elections website