HB1159 • 2026

Election Laws

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2, relative to voter registration.

Elections

Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor: Lynn, Hensley
Last action: 2026-03-25
Official status: Failed in State & Local Government Committee
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill did not pass and therefore does not currently affect primary voting rules or allow changes in party affiliation after initial declaration.

Voter Registration and Party Affiliation Act

This bill requires voters to declare their political party affiliation or remain unaffiliated when registering or updating their registration.

What This Bill Does

Requires new and updating voters to choose a political party or remain unaffiliated during the registration process.
Adds 'Unaffiliated Voter' as a category in state law, defining it as someone without a specific party preference.
Directs county election commissions to record voter's chosen party affiliation or unaffiliated status on their permanent records.

Who It Names or Affects

All registered voters and those seeking to register or update their voter information.
County election commissions responsible for maintaining voter records.

Terms To Know

Unaffiliated Voter: A voter who is not affiliated with a political party and has no specific party preference.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill did not pass the State & Local Government Committee and therefore has no current effect.
There are financial impacts on local governments, estimated at $122,800 for FY25-26, but it is unclear if this will be covered by state funds as required by Tennessee Constitution Article II, Section 24.

Bill History

2026-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate State and Local Government Committee
2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/31/2026
2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Failed in State & Local Government Committee
2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/31/2026
2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 3/31/2026
2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/25/2026
2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/25/2026
2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 3/25/2026
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/24/2026
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/24/2026
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/24/2026
2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 3/24/2026
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/18/2026
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/18/2026
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/17/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/11/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/11/2026
2026-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/4/2026
2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to State & Local Government Committee
2026-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee for 2/17/2026
2026-01-20 Tennessee General Assembly
Taken off notice for cal in s/c Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee of State & Local Government Committee
2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee for 1/20/2026
2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Action Def. in s/c Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee to Second Calendar 2026
2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee for 3/25/2025
2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee
2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee
2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee
2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2025-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law provides that a permanent voting registration record must contain certain information described by law before being signed by the registrant, and must be witnessed as indicated on the form. This bill requires the applicant's political party a
f
filiation to be added to the form.

This bill provides that at the initial voting registration or during the registration period,
each qualified voter may designate on the registration application an affiliation with a political party qualified to partic
ipate in primary elections or may designate to be designated as "
u
naffiliated."
An
"
u
naffiliated voter" means a voter who is not affiliated with a statewide political party or recognized minor political party and who has no political party preference.

Th
e county election commission
must
record the party affiliation or unaffiliated designation as part of the voter's permanent registration record. If a voter fails or refuses to make a designation, the county election commission
must
enter on the permanent
registration records that the voter is unaffiliated.

Present law provides that a registered voter is entitled to vote in a
primary election for offices for which the voter is qualified to vote at the polling place where the voter is registered if
at the
time the voter seeks to vote, the voter declares allegiance to the political party in whose primary the voter seeks to vote and states that the voter intends to affiliate with that party.
This bill provides, instead, that a registered voter is entitled to
vote in such election if it is the
first primary election the voter has voted in after the effective date of this
bill
, and
,
at the time the voter seeks to vote, the voter declares allegiance to the political party in whose primary the voter seeks to vote
and states that the voter intends to affiliate with that party. The county election commission
must
record the voter's declaration or affirmation made at the time the voter seeks to vote as part of the voter's permanent registration record. Once recorde
d, such declaration may be changed by the voter in accordance with
present law.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL 831
By Hensley

HOUSE BILL 1159
By Lynn

HB1159
002916
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2,
relative to voter registration.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-2-116, is amended by adding the
following as new language on the permanent registration record when a person registers to
vote:
Political Party Affiliation _______________
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-2-118, is amended by adding the
following as a new subsection:
(e) At the time of initial registration or during the registration period under § 2-2-
109, each qualified voter may designate on the registration application an affiliation with
a political party qualified to participate in primary elections or may designate to be
designated as "Unaffiliated." The county election commission shall record the party
affiliation or unaffiliated designation as part of the voter's permanent registration record.
If a voter fails or refuses to make a designation, the county election commission shall
enter on the permanent registration records that the voter is unaffiliated.
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-1-104(a), is amended by adding
the following as a new subdivision:
( ) "Unaffiliated voter" means a voter who is not affiliated with a statewide
political party or recognized minor political party and who has no political party
preference.

- 2 - 002916

SECTION 4. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-7-115(b)(2), is amended by
deleting the subdivision and substituting instead:
(2) It is the first primary election the voter has voted in after the effective date of
this act, and at the time the voter seeks to vote, the voter declares allegiance to the
political party in whose primary the voter seeks to vote and states that the voter intends
to affiliate with that party. The county election commission shall record the voter's
declaration or affirmation made at the time the voter seeks to vote as part of the voter's
permanent registration record. Once recorded, such declaration may be changed by the
voter in accordance with § 2-2-109.
SECTION 5. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.