Accessible Voting in Tennessee
For the Tuesday, November 5, 2024 General Election in Tennessee
- In Tennessee there is a new rule allowing accessible mail ballots for voters with visual and print disabilities. Check with your local election office to learn more.
- In Tennessee, check with your state or local election officials for information about voting response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Voting Information
Visit your state Guide to Absentee Voting page
Phone: (615)-741-7956 or 1 (877) 850-4959
Contact your local election office for polling places and other information.
Read the REV UP voting guide for your state
Register to vote
- Voter registration in Tennessee
- Deadlines and information in 18 languages at vote.gov
Your rights
As a voter with a disability, you have a right to vote privately and independently, at an accessible voting location, on an accessible voting system.
Organizations that can help If you can't find the information you need at your state or local election office.
- Contact your local Center for Independent Living
- Contact your state National Disability Rights Network office.
- Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE to report any problems voting
Other websites for voting information
- REV UP Voting Guides for voting info and plain language definitions
- VoteRiders for Voter ID requirements
- Vote.gov for information about registering to vote
- Vote411.org for what’s on your ballot
Voting features in Tennessee for voters with disabilities
- Ask your local election office if you can vote by mail for all elections.
- Ask about accessible vote-by-mail system
Self-advocacy! Ask your local election office about:
- Information in large print, audio, or Braille versions
- Curbside or drive-up voting.
- Ballot delivery to your home or a “ride to the polls” program
- How to practice using the accessible voting system
- Emergency voting options if you are hospitalized or ill
- How to get assistance voting
- Other services for voters with disabilities
Learn more about the laws that protect your rights
Early voting is voting in person before Election Day, which is usually less crowded than going to vote on Election Day itself. There are different kinds of early voting, so check the options available for you. They might include:
- vote centers where you can vote at any location in your jurisdiction
- super polling places where you are assigned a location
- voting at an elections office or satellite office
- in-person absentee, where you go to an elections office, get your mail ballot, and then mark and cast it in the office.
October 16 through October 31, early voting is available at your local county election commission office.
Early voting hours and locations can vary. Check with your local elections office.
Learn what ID you can use at VoteRiders
Find an early voting center near you.
When you vote in person on Election Day, you go to a voting center to mark and cast your ballot in person. Every in-person voting location is required to have accessible voting systems available.
- Voters without ID can sign an affidavit.
Find your polling place.
- First-time voters are asked to show identification.
Accessible voting systems for in-person voting
The accessible voting systems used in Tennessee are shown below. Contact your local election office for more information or a change to practice using the system you will vote on.
ES&S ExpressVote
A ballot marking device.
It has a touchscreen, audio, and tactile controls on a small keypad.
The printed ballot is a list of selections printed on a narrow card.
Ballots are cast at a separate scanner.
Learn more about using ExpressVote
- Short video tutorial from Pennsylvania (YouTube 1:53)
- Video from Michigan (You Tube 12:29)
- Information about ExpressVote from Pennsylvania
Hart InterCivic Verity Touch
Electronic voting system.
It has a touch screen, audio,and tactile controls using the Hart “move wheel.”
Ballots are cast electronically.
Learn more about using the Touch Writer
- Short video tutorial from Hart (YouTube 1:30)
Hart InterCivic Verity Touch Writer
A ballot marking device.
It has a touchscreen, audio, and tactile controls using the Hart “move wheel.”
The printed ballot is a facsimile of a hand-marked paper ballot.
The ballot is cast at a separate scanner.
Learn more about using the Touch Writer
- Short video tutorial from Hart (YouTube 2:29)
- Longer instructional video from Michigan (YouTube 11:36)
- Information about Verity Touch Writer from Pennsylvania
- Verity Touch Writer product page from Hart InterCivic
Hart InterCivic Verity Duo
A ballot marking device.
It has a touch screen, audio, and tactile controls using the Hart move wheel.
The printed ballot is a list of selections read by OCR.
Ballots are cast at a separate scanner.
Learn more about using the Duo
- Short video tutorial from Hart (YouTube 1:25)
- How to vote on the Duo (YouTube 2:09)
Unisyn OpenElect Voting Interface (OVI and OVI-VC)
A ballot marking device.
It has a touchscreen, audio, and tactile controls on a small keypad.
The ballot is printed on a small strip of paper using a built-in printer.
The OVI-VC is used in early voting centers.
Learn more about using the OVI
- Short video tutorial from Unisyn (Vimeo 3:03 - no captions)
- OpenElect OVI product page from Unisyn
Microvote Infinity
An electronic voting system.
It has a push-button interface with the ballot displayed on an monochrome screen.
There is an audio interface.
Ballots are cast electronically.
Learn more about using the Infinity
- Microvote Infinity instructions (YouTube 2:55, no captions)
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Voting by mail can be an accessible option for voters with disabilities. It lets you vote at home, so you can mark, verify and return a paper ballot privately and independently. Some states have emergency options if you are hospitalized or ill. |
How to get your ballot
- Voters must have an excuse to vote by mail.
- Ask your local election office if voters with disabilities can request or receive a ballot for more than one election.
To get your ballot you can:
- Download, print, and mail a request form.
- Return the request form by email or fax.
- Check the identification requirements on the request form carefully.
How to return your ballot
By mail
Make sure your ballot counts! Remember...
Return your ballot promptly. Postmarks don't count.
Put enough postage on the envelope.
Make sure your ballot is sealed in the envelope.
Sign the form on the envelope.
- If someone helped you, have them complete the form for assistants.
Learn about accessible voting by mail options in the next card.
Accessible voting by mail allows voters with disabilities to mark a mail-in ballot electronically, using their own technology and assistive tools.
To use accessible tools for voting by mail, typically voters:
- Download an electronic ballot to mark using personal technology
- Print the ballot and any signature form
- Seal the ballot in an envelope
- Return it by mail or to a ballot drop off locatoin
Some states allow electronic return by email, fax, or a secure portal.
There is a statewide accessible vote by mail program in Tennessee called Absentee ballot
- You can use accessible vote by mail if you are a voter with a disability.
Use the Print Disability Absentee Ballot Request Form to request an accessible ballot by mail, email, or fax.
Returning a printed ballot
Follow the instructions that come with your ballot.
- By mail
The systems in use in Tennessee for accessible voting by mail are:
Ask your local election office about the accessible vote by mail system you will use.
Learn more about accessible voting options in Tennessee