How To Vote In Tennesee 2020

♪ (patriotic music) ♪

Hello Tennessee!

If you’re watching this
then I assume you want to vote!

Before you can vote in Tennessee,
you’ve gotta be registered.

If you’re not sure
if you’re registered already,

you can check using the link
in the description.

If you’re not registered yet,

or you need to update
your name or address,

you’ll need to fill out
a registration form.

If you have a Tennessee
driver’s license or state ID,

you can register online
at the link in the description,

but if you don’t have a Tennessee ID,
you can still register by mail.

You just print off the form
using the link below

and mail it to your county’s board
of elections by October 5th.

Once you register, you get to vote.

In certain situations,
you can vote absentee by mail,

like if you will be
out of state on election day,

or you have an illness, disability,

or religious belief that prevents you
from going to the polls.

If any of those apply to you,

you’ll need to fill out
the absentee ballot request form

linked in the description

and mail it to your county’s
election commissioner.

A link to all their contact information
is in the description.

You can request your ballot
any time before October 27th,

but the sooner you get your request in,

the longer you'll have
to look it over, fill it out,

and send it back
before November 3rd.

For everyone else,
if you want to vote early,

you’ll need to do it in person.

From October 14th to the 29th,
any registered voter can vote

at a county election commission office
or satellite voting location.

The hours and locations vary by county,

so check your county’s elections
website before you go.

If you want to vote on election day
on November 3rd,

you can find out where you need to go
to vote using the link in the description.

Polls are open from 7 am to 7 pm

if you live in the Central Time part
of Tennessee,

8 am to 8 pm if you’re in Eastern Time.

You’ll need to bring a photo ID with you,
like a Tennessee driver’s license,

state ID, military ID,
handgun permit, or passport.

If you don’t have any of those,

you can get a free voter ID
at a Driver Services Center

--there’s a link to more info
on getting a voter ID below.

I also suggest you check
your County Election Commission’s website

to look at a sample ballot that tells you
everything you’ll be able to vote for.

You don’t have to vote for
every single item on the ballot

--you can leave things blank
if you want to.

But your local elections
can be pretty important,

so it’s worth checking out
what’s on there ahead of time.

You can even take a screenshot
or print it out

and bring it to the polls with you

so you don’t forget
how you wanted to vote.

The best thing to do
if you want to vote this year

is to make a plan to vote right now--

from what day
you’re gonna register

to whether you are gonna vote
in person or absentee.

What kind of ID you’re going to use,
and where that ID is,

even what time you’re going to the polls
and how you’re going to get there.

Write it down, put it in your notes app,
text it to your friend, just make a plan

so that nothing unexpected stops you
from being counted on November 3rd.

All the links you need
to check your registration,

vote early and find your polling location
are in the description.

Thanks for being a voter!

How To Vote in Every State
is produced by Complexly

in partnership with
The MediaWise Voter Project,

which is led by The Poynter Institute
and supported by Facebook.