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Voting in your state

Voting in Tennessee, 2026

Every date and deadline for the November 3 general election, from registering to the final certificate, and who signs off on the result.

Right nowEarly voting is open in Tennessee through Thursday, October 29.Election Day in 7 days

Every date, in order

  1. Mon, Oct 5 · passed
    Registration deadline
    Register by Monday October 5, 2026, since the 30-day deadline falls on a Sunday and moves to the next business day.1
  2. Wed, Oct 14 · passed
    Early voting begins
  3. Sat, Oct 24 · passed
    Last day for mail ballot applications
    Mail ballot applications must be received by Saturday, October 24, 2026. Received 10 days before Election Day1
  4. Tue, Nov 3 · 7 days
    Election Day; Mail ballots must arrive
    Absentee ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day.1
  5. Mon, Nov 23 · 27 days
    County/Local canvass; County/Local certification
    Counties canvass no later than the third Monday after the election, November 23.2
  6. After certification
    Deadline to contest the result
    A contest must be filed within five days after the election is certified.3

Questions people ask about voting in Tennessee

Q. When does early voting end in Tennessee?

Early voting runs from Wednesday October 14 through Thursday October 29, 2026.

Q. When is the deadline to register to vote in Tennessee?

Register by Monday October 5, 2026, since the 30-day deadline falls on a Sunday and moves to the next business day.

Q. What is the last day to request a mail ballot in Tennessee?

Mail ballot applications must be received by Saturday, October 24, 2026. Received 10 days before Election Day

Q. When does my mail ballot have to arrive in Tennessee?

Absentee ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Q. Who certifies the election in Tennessee, and by when?

County officials meet no later than the third Monday after the election to canvass the results and send them to the Secretary of State. County results are due no later than the third Monday after the election, November 23, 2026. The Governor, the Secretary of State and the Attorney General canvass and declare the state and federal results, and the Governor issues certificates. The governor, Secretary of State and Attorney General declare the winners as soon as the returns arrive, with no fixed date.

Q. What happens after the count in Tennessee, and when is there a recount?

State law does not include a process for automatic or candidate requested recounts (other than through court decisions).

Q. How long is there to contest an election in Tennessee?

A contest must be filed within five days after the election is certified.

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Sources

  1. Vote.org, Tennessee Election Center, https://www.vote.org/state/tennessee/
  2. NCSL, Canvass Deadlines, https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/canvass-deadlines
  3. NCSL, Contested Election Deadlines, https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/contested-election-deadlines
  4. nass.org, https://www.nass.org/node/2455
  5. NCSL, Election Certification Deadlines, https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/election-certification-deadlines

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