Political Parties

Plain English Breakdown

The bill was withdrawn, which affects its current status but does not provide details about future implications or enforcement.

Political Party Affiliation for Voting

This bill requires voters to declare their political party affiliation when registering or voting in primary elections and sets rules for changing affiliations.

What This Bill Does

• Requires new voters to provide a statewide political party or recognized minor party affiliation when they register to vote.
• Declares that voters who do not choose an affiliation are independent and cannot vote in primary elections.
• Allows registered voters affiliated with a party to change their affiliation, but only if done more than 30 days before the election.
• Designates new and existing voters without declared affiliations as independents by August 2026.
• Updates voter websites to allow applicants to affiliate or change their political party affiliation.

Who It Names or Affects

• Voters who register to vote in Tennessee
• Registered voters affiliated with a political party
• County election commissions

Terms To Know

primary election

An election held before the general election where candidates for office are chosen by members of each political party.

recognized minor party

A smaller political party that is officially acknowledged and can participate in elections.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill was withdrawn on February 4, 2025.
• It does not specify what happens if a voter fails to declare an affiliation before the primary election deadline.
• The exact impact on voter turnout and party participation is unclear.

Official Summary Text

ADDITION TO PERMANENT REGISTRATION RECORD FOR VOTING

This bill provides for the addition of new
language on the permanent registration record when a perso
n registers to vote
. This bill requires a registrant to provide the registrant's statewide political party or recognized minor party affiliation, and provides that a
voter choosing not to select a statewide political party or recognized minor party affili
ation is deemed to be an independent and is not eligible to vote in a primary election.

DECLARING A PARTY AFFILIATION

This bill generally requires
a qualified voter who has not declared a political party affiliation
to
declare a statewide political part
y or recognized minor party affiliation at the first primary election in which the person casts a vote after the effective date of this act. The county election commission
must
then add that information to the voter's permanent registration record.

This
bill authorizes a
registered voter affiliated with a political party who chooses to declare a different statewide political party or recognized minor party affiliation prior to a primary election
to
only do so more than
30
days prior to the election.
Thi
s bill further provides that new
and existing registered voters who have not declared a political party affiliation in accordance with this
bill
prior to the primary election in August of 2026,
are
deemed to be independent voters, and the respective county
election commission
must
then add that information to the voters' permanent registration record.

PRIMARY ELECTIONS, QUALIFICATIONS TO VOTE

Under present law, a
registered voter is entitled to vote in a primary election for offices for which the voter i
s qualified to vote at the polling place where the voter is registered if
(i) the
voter is a bona fide member of and affiliated with the political party in whose primary the voter seeks to vote; or
, (ii) at
the time the voter seeks to vote, the voter decla
res 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 authorizes, instead, a
registered voter
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 (i)
the voter is registered as being affiliated with that political party or
(ii)
the primary election is the first primary election the voter has participated in after the effecti
ve date of this act and the voter declares allegiance to that political party. The party affiliation declared by the voter must then be added to the voter's permanent registration record.

ADDITION TO VOTER WEBSITE
–
PARTY AFFILIATION

Present law requires the coordinator of elections to establish a website permitting an applicant to submit a voter registration application, submit information necessary to establish an applicant's eligibility to vote, and swear or affirm the required oat
h
. This bill requires such website to permit an applicant to affiliate
with, or change a registered voter's affiliation with, a statewide political party or recognized minor party.
This bill provides that, e
xcept for voters affiliating with a political pa
rty at a primary election in accordance with
this bill
, affiliation or change in affiliation with a statewide political party or recognized minor party may only be accepted and processed more than
30
days before the next primary election in the jurisdictio
n in which the voter resides
.

Current Bill Text

<BillNo> <Sponsor>

SENATE BILL 123
By Lowe

SB0123
001437
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2,
relative to political party affiliation.

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 new language on the permanent registration record when a person registers to vote:
13. Statewide Political Party or Recognized Minor Party Affiliation ___________
Notice: A voter choosing not to select a statewide political party or recognized
minor party affiliation is deemed to be an independent and is not eligible to vote in a
primary election.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2, Chapter 7, is amended by adding the
following language as a new section:
2-7-144.
(a) Except as provided in subsection (c), a qualified voter who has not declared
a political party affiliation shall declare a statewide political party or recognized minor
party affiliation at the first primary election in which the person casts a vote after the
effective date of this act. The county election commission shall then add that information
to the voter's permanent registration record.
(b) A registered voter affiliated with a political party who chooses to declare a
different statewide political party or recognized minor party affiliation prior to a primary
election may only do so more than thirty (30) days prior to the election.
(c) New and existing registered voters who have not declared a political party
affiliation in accordance with this section prior to the primary election in August of 2026,

- 2 - 001437

must be deemed to be independent voters, and the respective county election
commission shall then add that information to the voters' permanent registration record.
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-7-115, is amended by deleting
subsection (b) and substituting instead the following:
(b) A registered voter may vote in a primary election for offices for which the
voter is qualified to vote at the polling place where the voter is registered:
(1) If the voter is registered as being affiliated with that political party; or
(2) If the primary election is the first primary election the voter has
participated in after the effective date of this act and the voter declares allegiance
to that political party. The party affiliation declared by the voter must then be
added to the voter's permanent registration record.
SECTION 4. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-2-112(b), is amended by adding
the following new subdivision (3) and redesignating the existing subdivision (3) as subdivision
(4):
(3) Affiliate with, or change a registered voter's affiliation with, a statewide
political party or recognized minor party. Except for voters affiliating with a political party
at a primary election in accordance with § 2-7-144, affiliation or change in affiliation with
a statewide political party or recognized minor party may only be accepted and
processed more than thirty (30) days before the next primary election in the jurisdiction
in which the voter resides; and
SECTION 5. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.