Secretary of State

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material did not provide information on enforcement mechanisms, penalties for non-compliance, and technical implementation details.

Creating Online Candidate Information Pages

This bill requires the Tennessee Secretary of State to create and maintain online pages with information about candidates for local, state, and federal elections.

What This Bill Does

• Requires the Secretary of State to make a public website where voters can find information about election candidates.
• Includes each candidate's name as it appears on the ballot, a submitted photograph, link to their website (if applicable), contact details, and party affiliation (if applicable) on these pages.
• Ensures that all candidate information is presented in a uniform way for fairness.
• Makes sure the information is easy to search by different criteria like candidate name or office type.
• Sets up rules for when candidates must submit their information before an election.

Who It Names or Affects

• Voters who want more information about election candidates
• Candidates running in local, state, and federal elections

Terms To Know

Candidate Information Page

A public online page that shows details about a candidate for an upcoming election.

Limits and Unknowns

• Does not specify what happens if candidates do not submit accurate information.
• It is unclear how the Secretary of State will enforce compliance with these requirements.

Official Summary Text

As of January 1, 2027, this bill requires the
secretary of state, in coordination with the coordinator of elections and all county election commissions,
to
create and maintain a publicly accessible, nonpartisan online candidate information page for each local, state, and federal election.

Each page
must
include for every candidate appearing on the ballot for that election
(i) t
he candidate's name as it appears on the ballot;

(
ii
)
a
candidate-submitted photograph;

(
iii
)
a
link to the candidate's website, if
any, and the candidate's contact information; and

(
iv
)
t
he candidate's party affiliation, if any.

This bill requires t
he candidate information pages
to
be hosted on, or directly accessible through, the secretary of state's election information website and any applications or portals maintained by the secretary of state through which voters may seek voting information.

The secretary of state
must
ensure that the candidate information pages
(i) a
re searchable by candidate name, office, district, county, or municipality; and
(ii) a
llow a voter to view candidate information pages for all offices on the vo
ter's ballot.

County election commission websites
must
provide direct links to the corresponding candidate information pages for all elections for which the commission is administering the election.

Archived candidate information pages must remain publicly accessible for at least one year following the election.

This bill requires the
secretary of state
to
establish a secure, statewide candidate submission page for candidates to upload information required pursuant to
this bill. However, c
andidates are solely responsible for the accuracy of submitted information.

The secretary of state
must
set a deadline for a candidate to submit information that ensures that the candidate information page is publicly available no later than 14 days before early voting for that candidate's election.

After
such
deadline, a cand
idate may update submitted information once prior to the beginning of early voting for that election.

Current Bill Text

<BillNo> <Sponsor>

SENATE BILL 2299
By Yarbro
SB2299
012102
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2,
relative to candidate information for voters.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2, Chapter 1, is amended by adding the
following as a new section:
(a) The secretary of state, in coordination with the coordinator of elections and
all county election commissions, shall create and maintain a publicly accessible,
nonpartisan online candidate information page for each local, state, and federal election.
(b) Each page shall include for every candidate appearing on the ballot for that
election:
(1) The candidate's name as it appears on the ballot;
(2) A candidate-submitted photograph;
(3) A link to the candidate's website, if any, and the candidate's contact
information; and
(4) The candidate's party affiliation, if any.
(c) The candidate information must be displayed uniformly so that all candidates
for the same office are presented with equal formatting, character limits, and
prominence.
(d) The candidate information pages required by subsection (a) must be hosted
on, or directly accessible through, the secretary of state's election information website
and any applications or portals maintained by the secretary of state through which voters
may seek voting information.
(e) The secretary of state shall ensure that the candidate information pages:

- 2 - 012102

(1) Are searchable by candidate name, office, district, county, or
municipality; and
(2) Allow a voter to view candidate information pages for all offices on the
voter's ballot.
(f) County election commission websites shall provide direct links to the
corresponding candidate information pages for all elections for which the commission is
administering the election.
(g)
(1) The secretary of state shall establish a secure, statewide candidate
submission page for candidates to upload information required pursuant to
subsection (b).
(2) Candidates are solely responsible for the accuracy of submitted
information.
(h) The secretary of state shall set a deadline for a candidate to submit
information that ensures that the candidate information page is publicly available no later
than fourteen (14) days before early voting for that candidate's election.
(i) After the deadline set pursuant to subsection (h), a candidate may update
submitted information once prior to the beginning of early voting for that election.
(j) Archived candidate information pages must remain publicly accessible for at
least one (1) year following the election.
SECTION 2. For purposes of developing the website and rulemaking, this act takes
effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it. For all other purposes, this act takes
effect January 1, 2027, the public welfare requiring it.