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SB1258 • 2026

Election Laws

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

Elections
Active

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

Sponsor
Yarbro, Johnson
Last action
2026-04-06
Official status
Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Finance, Ways & Means Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary does not specify if all municipalities are affected or just those requiring nonresident property owners to vote by absentee ballot, so this detail was removed.

Voting Ordinance Filing Deadline Extension

This bill changes the deadline for municipalities to file voting ordinances with the county election commission 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.
  • Extends the current deadline of 60 days before an election to 75 days before an election.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Municipalities that have or will adopt voting ordinances for nonresident property owners.
  • County election commissions receiving the filed ordinances.

Terms To Know

nonresident property owner
A person who owns property in a municipality but does not live there.
county election commission
The local government body responsible for managing elections and voter registration within a county.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This bill only affects municipalities with specific voting ordinances.
  • It does not change other aspects of the voting process or requirements.
  • The exact impact on election processes is unclear until implemented.

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 distribute absentee ballot applications to incarcerated individuals and outlines procedures for voting by mail and in-person voting within correctional institutions.

  • Staff of correctional institutions can now distribute absentee ballot applications to incarcerated individuals as part of their official duties.
  • Incarcerated or confined individuals are eligible to vote if they meet certain criteria, including not being disqualified due to a judgment of infamy.
  • Correctional facilities must designate a day for voting and provide a private room for secret ballots. County election commissions will send attesting officials to oversee the process.
  • The amendment text is extensive and includes many details that are not summarized here, such as specific deadlines and responsibilities of correctional facility staff and county election commission designees.
  • Some parts of the amendment were truncated in the provided material, so a complete understanding may require additional information.

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

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

  11. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  12. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  13. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee 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

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

  17. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  18. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  19. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  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 
HOUSE BILL 1267
By Johnson

SENATE BILL 1258
By Yarbro

SB1258
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.