TN Presidential Ballot Access
Tennessee Presidential Ballot Access Requirements
State-level general-election presidential ballot access requirements for Tennessee, including party nomination, petition access, and write-in rules where available in the NASS summary.
Party Nomination
Political Party Nomination
The chair of a nominating body of a statewide political party or recognized minor political party must certify the party’s nominees for president and vice president to the coordinator of elections no later than the first business day in September. A statewide political party is a political party that had at least 1 candidate for an office to be elected by voters of the e ntire state in the past 4 years who received a number of votes equal to at least 5% of the total number of votes cast or gubernatorial candidate in the most recent election for governor. A minor political party may obtain ballot access for the general election by filing a petition no later than 90 days prior to the general election with the coordinator of elections containing the signature of registered voters equal to at least 2.5% of the total number of votes cast for gubernatorial candidates in the most recent election for governor.
Petition Access
Petition / Independent Candidate Access
An independent presidential candidate may obtain ballot access by filing with the coordinator of elections no later than the 3rd Thursday in August a petition containing the signatures of 25 or more registered voters for each elector allotted to the state, which totals 275 valid signatures. The candidate must also file the names of the presidential electors and the Vice-Presidential nominee.
Write-In
Write-In Rules
Write-in candidates must file a notice with the appropriate election official no later than 50 days before the election, and must also submit elector information.
Legal Citations
Source Citations
- Tenn. Code. Ann. §§ 2-1-104, 2-5-101, 2-7-133, 2-13-201, 2-13-203, § 2-1-104(a)(31)(a), (a)(24), 2-13-107(a), 2-5-101(a)(1), 2-15-101, 2-15- 102, 2-7-133(i); 2012 Tenn. Pub. Acts ch. 55
Source and Use
How to Read This Ballot Access Data
This reference is generated from NASS Summary: State Laws Regarding Presidential Ballot Access for the General Election.
- Primary source
- NASS ballot access summary PDF
- Coverage
- General-election presidential ballot access requirements by state, as summarized by NASS.
- Use note
- Informational reference only; verify current law with the state election office, current statutes, and legal counsel.
- These entries summarize general-election presidential ballot access rules for political party nominees, petition candidates, fee access where listed, and write-in candidacies.
- Ballot access law can change through statutes, court decisions, and state election guidance. Verify requirements with the state election office before relying on them.
- This reference does not state whether any candidate has qualified for a state ballot.
- This page is informational and is not legal advice or a filing procedure guide.