Election Laws

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Changes to Primary Election Rules for Minor Parties

This bill allows nonrecognized minor parties in Tennessee to rescind their decision to hold primary elections by providing written notice at least 90 days before the qualifying deadline.

What This Bill Does

• Allows officers of a nonrecognized minor party seeking recognition as a recognized minor party to file a notice with the coordinator of elections if they want to nominate candidates through a primary election.
• Requires this notice to be signed by two authorized officers, notarized, and submitted before the qualifying deadline set for such notices.
• Gives these parties the option to rescind their decision to hold a primary election by providing written notice at least 90 days before the qualifying deadline.

Who It Names or Affects

• Nonrecognized minor political parties in Tennessee
• The coordinator of elections

Terms To Know

nonrecognized minor party

A small political group that is not officially recognized by the state.

qualifying deadline

The last date when certain actions, like filing notices for primary elections, must be completed.

Limits and Unknowns

• Does not specify what happens if a party fails to rescind their notice within the required timeframe.
• It is unclear how this change will affect existing election laws and procedures.

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

<BillNo> <Sponsor>

SENATE BILL 153
By Pody

SB0153
001308
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2,
relative to primary elections.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-13-203(e)(2), is amended by
deleting the subdivision and substituting instead:
(2)
(A) If a nonrecognized minor party seeking recognition as a recognized
minor party decides to nominate by primary election under this section, the
officers of the nonrecognized minor party shall file a notice with the coordinator of
elections of its intent to nominate by primary election by twelve o'clock (12:00)
noon, prevailing time, by the qualifying deadline established in subdivision (e)(1).
The notice must be in writing and signed by two (2) officers with authority to act
for the party. The notice must be notarized and contain the following statement:
We, and , officers of the Party certify
under penalty of perjury that we are authorized to act for the
Party.
(B) The officers who filed the notice under subdivision (e)(2)(A) may
revoke or rescind their decision to nominate by primary election by providing the
coordinator of elections with written notice not less than ninety (90) days before
the qualifying deadline.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.