| Before heading to the polls on Thursday for the Aug. 4 State and Federal Primary & State and County General Election, the Secretary of State’s office wants voters to have the information they need to ensure that it’s easy to vote and hard to cheat in Tennessee. Tennesseans can access voter-specific Election Day information, including polling times, locations, sample ballots, election results and more, with the GoVoteTN app or on GoVoteTN.gov. The GoVoteTN app is free in the App Store or Google Play. On Election Day, polls in all 95 counties open at various times. A list of when polls open is available on GoVoteTN.gov. All polls close at 8 p.m. EDT/7 p.m. CDT. “Voters should be aware that casting their ballot for the August election may take additional time,” said Secretary of State Tre Hargett. “With primary and general races and judicial retention questions, there is a long ballot for this August election. To reduce the amount of time it takes to vote, I encourage Tennesseans to review their sample ballots before they head to the polls.” Casting your ballot in the midmorning or midafternoon may shorten your time. Early morning, noon and after 5 p.m. are peak times as people typically vote before work, after work or on their lunch breaks. If there is a line to vote, frail, physically disabled or visibly pregnant voters can request to move through the process faster. To cast a ballot, voters need to bring valid photo identification. A driver’s license or photo ID issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Tennessee state government or the federal government is acceptable even if it’s expired. A student ID or out-of-state driver’s license is not acceptable. For more information about what types of IDs are permitted, visit GoVoteTN.gov or call 1-877-850-4959. State law requires polling locations and areas within a 100-foot boundary of the entrance to remain campaign-free zones. The display or distribution of campaign materials and the solicitation of votes for or against any person, party or question on the ballot within this area are prohibited. Voters wearing campaign-related clothing or paraphernalia will not be allowed within the 100-foot boundary. Tennessee voters are encouraged to report possible voter fraud or misinformation to the Secretary of State’s Division of Elections. Tennesseans can text ‘TN’ to 45995 to use the new Text to Report Voter Fraud system or call the Official Election Day Hotline toll-free at 1-877-850-4959. The Secretary of State’s office will also post unofficial election results on their website, elections.tn.gov. A comprehensive report of early and absentee by-mail voter turnout by county with comparisons to 2018 and 2014 from the 14-day early voting period, which ran from Friday, July 15 to Saturday, July 30 is available on GoVoteTN.gov. |
