KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to Tennessee

SB0981 • 2026

Election Laws

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2, Chapter 3, Part 3, relative to convenience voting.

Elections
Active

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

Sponsor
Southerland, Eldridge
Last action
2025-05-13
Official status
Effective date(s) 05/05/2025
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not specify that the bill becomes law immediately due to public welfare, only that it takes effect upon becoming a law.

Convenience Voting for Hamblen County

This bill allows Hamblen County to join a pilot program that lets voters use any voting center in the county.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds a new rule allowing Hamblen County, which has a specific population size according to the latest census, to take part in a convenience voting pilot project.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Hamblen County voters
  • Local government officials in Hamblen County

Terms To Know

Convenience Voting Center Pilot Project
A program that lets people vote at any voting center within a county, not just their assigned one.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Only Hamblen County with specific population criteria can join this pilot project.
  • It is not clear how long the pilot program will last or if it will be expanded to other counties.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 05/05/2025

  2. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 384

  3. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 384

  4. 2025-05-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-04-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 96, Nays 0, PNV 0

  10. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  11. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  12. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 4/16/2025

  13. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/15/2025

  14. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  15. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 4/15/2025

  16. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  17. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2025

  18. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

  19. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee

  20. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  21. 2025-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  22. 2025-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 31, Nays 0

  23. 2025-04-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Consent Calendar 2 for 4/7/2025

  24. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  25. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 4/9/2025

  26. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 4/9/2025

  27. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 4/2/2025

  28. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 4/2/2025

  29. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  30. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 4/2/2025

  31. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 4/2/2025

  32. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/26/2025

  33. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/26/2025

  34. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/19/2025

  35. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  36. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  37. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  38. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  39. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  40. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee

  41. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  42. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  43. 2025-01-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 620
By Eldridge

SENATE BILL 981
By Southerland

SB0981
002660
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2,
Chapter 3, Part 3, relative to convenience voting.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-3-302(f), is amended by adding the
following new subdivision (6):
(6) A county having a population of not less than sixty-four thousand four
hundred (64,400) nor more than sixty-four thousand five hundred (64,500), according to
the 2020 federal census or a subsequent federal census;
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.