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HB1267 • 2026

Election Laws

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

Elections Privacy
Did Not Pass

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

Sponsor
Johnson, Yarbro
Last action
2026-03-17
Official status
Failed in s/c Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee of State & Local Government Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill did not pass and thus does not have any legal effect, but it was intended to amend Tennessee Code Annotated as specified in the summary text.

Election Ordinance Filing Deadline Change

This bill changes the deadline for municipalities to file an ordinance that requires nonresident property owners to vote by absentee ballot from 60 days before an election to 75 days before an election.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the filing deadline for certain voting ordinances in Tennessee.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Municipalities that have or plan to adopt an ordinance requiring nonresident property owners to vote by absentee ballot.

Terms To Know

Ordinance
A rule made by a city government that tells people how they must act in certain situations.
Nonresident Property Owner
Someone who owns property but does not live in the area where the property is located.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass and therefore has no legal effect.
  • It only affects municipalities with specific types of voting rules for nonresident property owners.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Amendment 1-0 to SB1258

Plain English: The amendment allows certain staff in correctional facilities to help distribute absentee ballot applications to incarcerated individuals and sets rules for voting by mail and in-person voting within correctional institutions.

  • Staff of correctional institutions can now distribute absentee ballot applications to incarcerated people as part of their job duties.
  • Incarcerated individuals who are eligible to vote will be allowed to cast ballots either through the mail or on-site at a designated day before an election, with privacy measures in place.
  • Correctional facilities must provide assistance and information about voting deadlines to incarcerated individuals.
  • The amendment text is extensive and includes many details that are not summarized here due to complexity and length.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Finance, Ways & Means Committee

  2. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Failed in s/c Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee of State & Local Government Committee

  3. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee for 3/17/2026

  4. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Finance, Ways & Means Committee Ayes 6, Nays 1 PNV 0

  5. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/3/2026

  6. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 3/3/2026

  7. 2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 2/24/2026

  8. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Failed in Senate State and Local Government Committee

  9. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 4/1/2025

  10. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Taken off notice for cal in s/c Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee of State & Local Government Committee

  11. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 4/1/2025

  12. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee for 3/25/2025

  13. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/25/2025

  14. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee

  15. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  16. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, caption bill, held on desk - pending amdt.

  17. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee

  18. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  19. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  20. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  21. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 1258
By Yarbro

HOUSE BILL 1267
By Johnson

HB1267
003287
- 1 -

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

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-6-205, is amended by deleting the
language "no later than sixty (60) days before the election" and substituting instead "no later
than seventy-five (75) days before the election".
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.