Nashville, Tenn. (TN Tribune)–If you have had a felony conviction you may be eligible for restoration of your voting rights.
Your eligibility to register and vote depends upon the crime you were convicted of and the date of your conviction.
For more information about this process, call 1-877-850-4959 or visit https://sos.tn.gov/products/elections/restoration-voting-rights.
Inmates may apply to vote by absentee ballot August 22, 2022-October 18, 2022.
The last day to mail an absentee ballot is October 26, 2022. Inmates vote at penal facilities November 1, 2022.
If your conviction has been expunged, you may answer “No” when asked if you have a felony conviction on the voter registration form.
Conviction on or after May 18, 1981
All convictions for a crime that is a felony in Tennessee, whether by a Tennessee court, a court in another state, or a federal court, cause you to forfeit your eligibility to vote. You may regain your eligibility to vote if you have your conviction expunged or if you have your voting rights restored.
However, you are never eligible to register and vote if you were convicted of specific felonies within specific date ranges:
After July 1, 1986
• Voter fraud
• Treason
• First-degree murder
• Aggravated rape
After July 1, 1996, to June 30, 2006
• Voter fraud
• Treason
• Any degree of murder or rape
After July 1, 2006
• Voter fraud
• Treason
• Any degree of murder or rape
• Certain felonies involving bribery, misconduct
involving public officials and employees, or
interference with government operations
• Sexual offenses or violent sexual offenses that are
felonies where the victim was a minor
Conviction between January 15, 1973, and May 17, 1981
All persons who were convicted during this time period are eligible to vote. You do not need to have your
rights restored, but the Division of Elections will need to verify you were convicted during this time period.
Conviction prior to January 15, 1973
You still have the right to vote unless you were convicted of one of the following crimes:
• Abusing a female child
• Arson and felonious burning
• Bigamy
• Bribery
• Burglary
• Felonious breaking into a
business house, outhouse
other than a dwelling house
• Felonious breaking and
entering a dwelling house
• Larceny
• Horse stealing
• Robbery
• Stealing bills of exchange or
other valuable papers
• Receiving stolen property
• Counterfeiting
• Forgery
• Destroying a will
• Incest
• Rape
• Sodomy
• Buggery
• Perjury
• Subornation of perjury
Even if you were convicted of a crime listed above, you still have the right to vote if you can show that at the time of your conviction the judge did not render you “infamous,” if your conviction was reversed on appeal or expunged, if you received a full pardon, or if you have your voting rights restored.
