Tennessee voting deadlines for the November 3, 2026 election

Tennessee voter registration closes Oct 5 for the November 3, 2026 election. Every deadline — registration, mail ballot and early voting — with the official source for each.

Look up your own ballot and polling place →

Every date

Monday, October 5, 2026
Voter registration deadline (online, by mail and in person)

Voter registration deadline for the Nov 3 election is Monday, Oct 5, 2026. The online deadline is the same as for other methods. Mailed registration forms must be postmarked by Oct 5, 2026. Register at the county election commission (or other listed offices) by Oct 5, 2026.

Wednesday, October 14, 2026 – Thursday, October 29, 2026
Early voting

Early in-person voting begins Wednesday, Oct 14, 2026. Early in-person voting ends Thursday, Oct 29, 2026. No excuse needed. Vote at the county election commission office or a county satellite site; locations and hours are set by each county election commission.

Saturday, October 24, 2026
Last day to request a mail ballot

Absentee by-mail request must be RECEIVED by the county election commission by Saturday, Oct 24, 2026 (10 days before). Submit by mail or email. Only voters with a qualifying reason (e.g. age 60+, out of county during early voting and Election Day, illness/disability) may vote by mail.

Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Mail ballot return deadline

Ballot must be returned by mail (USPS, FedEx, UPS) and received by the county election commission by the close of polls on Election Day. Hand delivery is not allowed. Poll closing time depends on time zone.

How voting works in Tennessee

Absentee request deadline is 10 days before (TCA 2-6-202(a)(1)), received, not 7 days as some third-party sites state. Mail voting requires a statutory reason; mail ballots cannot be hand-delivered. All dates re-verified 2026-09-15 against the 2026 Key Dates PDF, Secretary of State guide/FAQ pages, and TCA text.

What we could not confirm

We publish a gap rather than a guess. These points were not settled by an official source:

Where these came from

Every date above was read from the Tennessee election office's own published material, last checked Tuesday, September 15, 2026. Confirm anything you are relying on with your local election authority.

https://sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com/s3fs-public/document/Key%20Dates%20-%202026_0.pdf?VersionId=BlUofb7_chmj7rEfMw.akqY6xaoaoQF9

Voter Registration Deadline Monday, October 5, 2026

https://sos.tn.gov/elections/guides/how-to-register-to-vote

The election commission office will process any by-mail voter registration form that has been postmarked at least thirty (30) days before the election.

https://sos.tn.gov/elections/guides/guide-to-absentee-voting

You must mail your ballot in time for your county election commission to receive it no later than the close of polls on Election Day.

Other states