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SB0159 • 2026

Election Laws

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2, Chapter 6, Part 5 and Title 2, Chapter 9, relative to online voting.

Elections
Active

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

Sponsor
Hensley, Warner
Last action
2025-03-25
Official status
Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 7, Nays 1 PNV 1
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details on how military personnel and overseas voters will cast their ballots online, leaving this as an unknown.

Online Voting Rules

This bill changes Tennessee's election laws to prohibit most people from voting online but allows military personnel and citizens abroad to do so.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the law to say that voting machines cannot be used to send or receive ballots over the internet for regular voters.
  • Allows members of the military and citizens living outside the country to vote online as allowed by other laws.

Who It Names or Affects

  • All Tennessee voters except those in the military or living abroad.
  • Military personnel and citizens living overseas who are eligible to vote under specific rules.

Terms To Know

Voting machines
Devices used for casting votes during elections.
Overseas citizens
People from Tennessee who live outside the country but are still eligible to vote in Tennessee elections.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how military personnel and overseas voters will cast their ballots online.
  • It is unclear what other laws might apply to online voting for military and overseas citizens.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to SB0159

Plain English: The amendment adds a new rule that says counties in Tennessee cannot count votes sent through the internet.

  • Adds a new subsection (d) to Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-9-110, which prohibits county election commissions from counting ballots submitted via the internet.
  • The amendment does not specify what happens to online votes that are already marked but not counted.
  • It is unclear if this change affects any existing or future plans for online voting in Tennessee.

Bill History

  1. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 7, Nays 1 PNV 1

  2. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    No Action Taken

  3. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  4. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  5. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 3/25/2025

  6. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/18/2025

  7. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Def. to Special Calendar to be Published with Final Calendar in Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee

  8. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee for 3/11/2025

  9. 2025-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee to 3/11/2025

  10. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee for 3/4/2025

  11. 2025-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee to 3/4/2025

  12. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee for 2/25/2025

  13. 2025-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee

  14. 2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  15. 2025-01-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  16. 2025-01-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  17. 2025-01-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C held on desk pending appointment of Standing Committees

  18. 2025-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  19. 2025-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  20. 2025-01-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 139
By Warner

SENATE BILL 159
By Hensley

SB0159
000763
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2,
Chapter 6, Part 5 and Title 2, Chapter 9, relative to
online voting.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-9-110, is amended by adding the
following new subsection (d):
(d) Notwithstanding another law to the contrary, voting equipment and machines
must not transmit or receive a ballot, or otherwise be used to cast a ballot, using the
internet, except as authorized for members of the military and overseas citizens in
accordance with chapter 6, part 5 of this title.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.