HB0937 • 2026

Election Laws

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2; Title 40 and Title 41, relative to voting rights.

Crime Elections

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: Glynn, Oliver
Last action: 2025-02-10
Official status: Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary does not provide specific details about the impact of this change on current individuals with suspended voting rights.

Election Laws

This bill changes Tennessee's laws regarding voting rights for individuals convicted of serious crimes, allowing automatic restoration of voting rights upon completion of sentences or reversal by an appellate court.

What This Bill Does

Removes the requirement that voter registrations be automatically purged if a person is convicted of an infamous crime. Instead, the registration will be suspended and not counted in total registered voters until further action.
Requires election administrators to suspend voting rights when notified about a conviction of an infamous crime but allows automatic restoration once the sentence or probation period ends or upon reversal by an appellate court.
Establishes that people convicted of serious crimes can vote again after completing their sentences, including parole and probation periods, or if their convictions are overturned by higher courts.
Requires the state coordinator to create forms for notifying election commissions about suspended voting rights due to conviction and restored rights once sentences are completed.
Directs the state coordinator to maintain lists of people whose voting rights have been suspended or restored.

Who It Names or Affects

People who have been convicted of serious crimes (infamous crimes) in Tennessee.
Election administrators, judges, and correctional staff in Tennessee.

Terms To Know

Infamous crime: A criminal offense that results in the loss of voting rights until certain conditions are met.
Suspended status: The state where a person's voter registration is inactive due to a conviction but can be restored under specific circumstances.

Limits and Unknowns

It does not specify how long suspended registrations will remain on record.
Does not address the impact of this change on current individuals with suspended voting rights.
The bill's effectiveness depends on its passage and approval by Tennessee's General Assembly.

Bill History

2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee
2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee
2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee
2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2025-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ACTS PURGING VOTER REGISTRATION

Present law
provides that voting registration of a person must be purged if certain criteria is met, including u
pon receiving information that a person has been convicted of an infamous crime from the state coordinator of elections, the district attorney general, United States attorney, clerk of the court that entered the conviction, or other source upon verificati
on by the clerk of the convicting court
. This bill removes that specific criterion upon which voting registration of a person must be automatically purged.
Instead, this bill provides that upon receipt of such information such persons or entities
, the administrator of elections
must
place the registration in suspended status.
This bill provides that v
oter registrations that are
so
suspended are not included in a county's total of registered voters. The administrator of elections
must
report suspended voter registrations to the state coordinator of elections
, who must
maintain a list of suspended voter registrations and a list of restored voter registrations.

VOTER REGISTRATION OF PERSONS CONVICTED OF INFAMOUS CRIMES

This bill removes the current process for voter registration of persons convicted of infamous crimes and, instead, provides the following:



A person who has temporarily forfeited the right to
vote
because of a conviction of an infamous crime is eligible to vote automatically upon confirmation that
(i) t
he person has completed the sentence imposed upon conviction for an infamous crime, including any parole or probationary period; or
(ii) a
n appellate court of competent jurisdiction has entered a final judgment reversing the person's conviction of all infamous crimes.



A
certificate of final discharge from supervision or a certified copy of a judgment of an appellate court of competent jurisdiction is sufficient proof to the administrator that the person fulfills the above requirements as to the offense specified on the certificate of final discharge or judgment.



The state coordinator of elections
must
formulate a uniform procedure for automatically verifying the registration eligibility of any person convicted of an infamous crime and updating the appropriate administrator of elections of any changes to the suspended voter registration list
described above
. Upon receiving sufficient verification of the person's eligibility to register, the administrator must allow the person to become a registered voter or reactivate the person's voter registration in the same manner and in accordance with the same laws or rules as any other citizen of this state.

DUTIES OF THE COORDINATOR OF ELECTIONS

This bill requires the coordinator of elections to d
evise and furnish to the clerks of the circuit and criminal courts a form to be used for notifying county election commissions of the fact that a registered voter has been convicted of an infamous crime and therefore has a suspended voter registration.
The coordinator of election must also d
evise and furnish to the department of correction a form to be used to notify the county election commissions of the fact that a suspended voter's sentence has been c
ompleted and the voter is eligible for automatic restoration of the voter's right
to vote.

This bill requires the coordinator of elections to instruct
the administrators in each county to
(i) s
uspend the registration of any person who is registered to vote in the administrator's county when notified that the person has been convicted of an infamous crime; and
(ii) r
estore to the voting rolls any person whose registration has been suspended in the administrator's county when notified that the person has completed the sentence or received a copy of the final judgment reversing the person's convict
ion of all infamous crimes
.

This bill requires the coordinator of elections to (i) m
aintain a list of individuals whose right
to vote
has been suspended for conviction of an infamous crime;

(
ii
)
m
aintain a list of individuals whose right to
vote
has been restored; and

(
iii
)
d
evelop and implement a program to educate attorneys, judges, election officials, appropriate staff under the department of correction, and members of the public.

RIGHT TO VOTE FOR PERSONS CONVICTED OF INFAMOUS CRIMES

This bill removes the current provisions governing the exercise of the right to vote for those persons convicted of an infamous crime and, instead, provides the following:



A person who has been convicted of an infamous crime

is not permitted to register to vote or vote at any election until the person has completed the sentence, including any parole or probationary period, or an appellate court of competent jurisdiction has entered a final judgment reversing the person's conviction of all infamous crimes.



A person who has been convicted in another state of a crime or offense which would constitute an infamous crime under the laws of this state, regardless of the sentence imposed,
must
not register to vote or vote at any election in this state until the person has completed the sentence, including any parole or probationary period or an appellate court of competent jurisdiction has entered a final judgment reversing the person's conviction of all infamous crimes.

JUDGMENT OF INFAMY

Present law provides that, upon
conviction for any felony, it
is
the judgment of the court that the defendant be infamous and be immediately disqualified from exercising the right
to vote
.
This bill revises this provision to, instead, provide that a
criminal offense designated as a felony at the time of conviction is an infamous crime, and a person
so
convicted is immediately suspended from exercising the right
to vote.

NOTICE GIVEN AT TIME OF INMATE'S RELEASE

This bill requires the
department of correction
to
provide an inmate upon the inmate's release with
(i) a
certificate of final discharge
,
(
ii
)
w
ritten information on how to register to vote;

(
iii
)
t
he amount of restitution to the victim of the offense owed by the inmate; (
iv
)
t
he amount of court costs owed by the inmate; and

(
v
)
t
he amount of child support owed by the inmate.

The department
must also
provide a copy of
such
documentation to the state coordinator of elections
,
who
must
update the appropriate administrator of elections.

NOTICE TO THOSE WITH EXISTING FELONIES

On or before January 1, 2026,
this bill requires
the coordinator of elections
to
send a certified letter and a voter registration application to the last known address of each person who had a felony conviction after January 14, 1973, but prior to May 18, 1981, informing the person that the person is eligible to vote, never lost the r
ight to vote in this state, and does not need to have the person's rights restored.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL 1211
By Oliver

HOUSE BILL 937
By Glynn

HB0937
001097
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2;
Title 40 and Title 41, relative to voting rights.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-2-106, is amended by deleting
subsection (a) and substituting:
(a) The registration of a person is purged:
(1) At the request of the voter;
(2) Ninety (90) days after a name change for any reason, except by
marriage or divorce;
(3) If the voter dies; or
(4) Upon written confirmation from the voter that the voter has changed
the voter's address to an address outside the county of registration or has
registered to vote in another jurisdiction.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-2-106, is amended by adding the
following as new subsections:
(i) Upon receiving information that a person has been convicted of an infamous
crime as defined by § 40-20-112 from the state coordinator of elections, the district
attorney general, United States attorney, clerk of the court that entered the conviction, or
other source upon verification by the clerk of the convicting court, the administrator of
elections shall place the registration in suspended status.

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(j) Voter registrations that are suspended pursuant to subsection (i) are not
included in a county's total of registered voters. The administrator of elections shall
report suspended voter registrations to the state coordinator of elections.
(k) The state coordinator of elections shall maintain a list of suspended voter
registrations and a list of restored voter registrations.
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-2-116(12), is amended by deleting
"had your full rights of citizenship restored by a court" and substituting "a certificate of final
discharge from supervision".
SECTION 4. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-2-139, is amended by deleting the
section and substituting instead the following:
(a) A person who has temporarily forfeited the right to suffrage because of a
conviction of an infamous crime is eligible to vote automatically upon confirmation that:
(1) The person has completed the sentence imposed upon conviction for
an infamous crime, including any parole or probationary period; or
(2) An appellate court of competent jurisdiction has entered a final
judgment reversing the person's conviction of all infamous crimes.
(b) For purposes of subsection (a), a certificate of final discharge from
supervision or a certified copy of a judgment of an appellate court of competent
jurisdiction is sufficient proof to the administrator that the person fulfills the above
requirements as to the offense specified on the certificate of final discharge or judgment.
(c) The state coordinator of elections shall formulate a uniform procedure for
automatically verifying the registration eligibility of any person convicted of an infamous
crime and updating the appropriate administrator of elections of any changes to the
suspended voter registration list under § 2-2-106. Upon receiving sufficient verification
of the person's eligibility to register, the administrator must allow the person to become a

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registered voter or reactivate the person's voter registration in the same manner and in
accordance with the same laws or rules as any other citizen of this state.
SECTION 5. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-11-202(a), is amended by deleting
subdivisions (16) and (17) and substituting instead:
(16)
(A) Devise and furnish to the clerks of the circuit and criminal courts a
form to be used for notifying county election commissions of the fact that a
registered voter has been convicted of an infamous crime and therefore has a
suspended voter registration. The form must include the voter's name, race, date
of birth, and social security number, if available; and
(B) Devise and furnish to the department of correction a form to be used
to notify the county election commissions of the fact that a suspended voter's
sentence has been completed and the voter is eligible for automatic restoration
of the voter's right of suffrage pursuant to §§ 2-2-139 and 40-29-202;
(17) Instruct the administrators in each county to:
(A) Suspend the registration of any person who is registered to vote in
the administrator's county when notified that the person has been convicted of an
infamous crime; and
(B) Restore to the voting rolls any person whose registration has been
suspended in the administrator's county when notified that the person has
completed the sentence or received a copy of the final judgment reversing the
person's conviction of all infamous crimes;
SECTION 6. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-11-202(a), is amended by adding
the following new subdivisions:

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(20) Maintain a list of individuals whose right of suffrage has been suspended for
conviction of an infamous crime;
(21) Maintain a list of individuals whose right to suffrage has been restored; and
(22) Develop and implement a program to educate attorneys, judges, election
officials, appropriate staff under the department of correction, including parole and
probation officers, and members of the public.
SECTION 7. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-19-143, is amended by deleting the
section and substituting:
(a) A person who has been convicted of an infamous crime, as defined by § 40-
20-112, is not permitted to register to vote or vote at any election until the person has
completed the sentence, including any parole or probationary period, pursuant to § 40-
29-202, or an appellate court of competent jurisdiction has entered a final judgment
reversing the person's conviction of all infamous crimes.
(b) A person who has been convicted in another state of a crime or offense
which would constitute an infamous crime under the laws of this state, regardless of the
sentence imposed, shall not register to vote or vote at any election in this state until the
person has completed the sentence, including any parole or probationary period or an
appellate court of competent jurisdiction has entered a final judgment reversing the
person's conviction of all infamous crimes.
SECTION 8. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-20-112, is amended by deleting
the section and substituting:
A criminal offense designated as a felony at the time of conviction is an infamous
crime, and a person convicted of an infamous crime is immediately suspended from
exercising the right of suffrage. A person so convicted is not disqualified to testify in any
action, civil or criminal, by reason of having been convicted of any felony, and the fact of

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conviction for any felony may only be used as a reflection upon the person's credibility
as a witness.
SECTION 9. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-29-105, is amended by deleting
subdivision (b)(1)(A) and substituting:
(A) Receiving a pardon, except where the pardon contains special conditions
pertaining to the right of suffrage or the right to possess a firearm;
SECTION 10. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-29-105(b), is amended by
deleting subdivisions (3) through (6) and substituting:
(3) A person eligible for restoration of citizenship pursuant to subdivision (b)(1)
may request, and then must be issued, a certificate of restoration upon a form
prescribed by the coordinator of elections, by:
(A) The pardoning authority; or
(B) An agent or officer of the supervising or incarcerating authority;
(4) A person issued a certificate of restoration must submit either a certificate of
final discharge from the appropriate supervising authority or a certified copy of a
judgment of an appellate court of competent jurisdiction to the administrator of elections
of the county to be eligible to vote. Upon receiving a certificate of final discharge from
the appropriate supervising authority or a certified copy of a judgment of an appellate
court of competent jurisdiction, the coordinator of elections shall issue a voter
registration card entitling the person to vote; and
(5) Before allowing a person convicted of an infamous crime to become a
registered voter, it is the duty of the administrator of elections in each county to verify
with the coordinator of elections that the person is eligible to register pursuant to this title
and title 2.

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SECTION 11. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-29-105(c), is amended by
deleting subdivision (2) and substituting:
(2)
(A) A person receiving a pardon may petition for restoration immediately
upon receiving the pardon; and
(B) The department of correction or the appropriate supervising authority
shall provide a person convicted of an infamous crime a certificate of discharge
upon the completion of the sentence imposed by the court, including any parole
or probationary period, for the infamous crime; provided, that a person convicted
of murder, rape, treason, or voter fraud is ineligible to register and vote in this
state;
SECTION 12. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-29-105(c), is amended by
deleting subdivisions (6) and (7) and substituting:
(6) A person whose right to suffrage has been restored pursuant to subdivision
(c)(2) shall submit a certified copy of the order or certificate of final discharge to the
administrator of elections of the county in which the person is eligible to vote. The
administrator of elections shall verify with the coordinator of elections that the certificate
of discharge was issued and, upon receiving the verification, shall issue the person a
voter registration card entitling the person to vote; and
(7) All costs for a proceeding under this subsection (c) to restore a person's
citizenship rights must be paid by the petitioner unless the court specifically orders
otherwise.
SECTION 13. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-29-202, is amended by deleting
the section and substituting:

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A person rendered infamous and temporarily deprived of the right of suffrage is
automatically eligible for the restoration of the right of suffrage upon:
(1) The completion of the person's sentence, including any parole or
probationary period, and the person receiving a certificate of final discharge from
the appropriate supervising authority; or
(2) An appellate court of competent jurisdiction entering a final judgment
reversing the person's conviction or convictions of all infamous crimes and the
person received a certified copy of the judgment.
SECTION 14. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-29-203, is amended by deleting
the section.
SECTION 15. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-29-204, is amended by deleting
subdivisions (2) and (3).
SECTION 16. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-29-205, is amended by deleting
the section.
SECTION 17. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 41-51-301, is amended by adding
the following as new subsections:
(d) The department of correction shall provide an inmate upon the inmate's
release with:
(1) A certificate of final discharge pursuant to § 40-29-202;
(2) Written information on how to register to vote;
(3) The amount of restitution to the victim of the offense owed by the
inmate;
(4) The amount of court costs owed by the inmate; and
(5) The amount of child support owed by the inmate.

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(e) The department of correction shall provide a copy of the documentation
under subdivision (d)(1) to the state coordinator of elections who shall update the
appropriate administrator of elections pursuant to § 2-2-139.
SECTION 18. On or before January 1, 2026, the coordinator of elections shall send a
certified letter and a voter registration application to the last known address of each person who
had a felony conviction after January 14, 1973, but prior to May 18, 1981, informing the person
that the person is eligible to vote, never lost the right to vote in this state, and does not need to
have the person's rights restored.
SECTION 19. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.