Elections

Early and Absentee By-Mail Voting

Early Voting – Early Voting is held in the Election Commission office, Suite 100 in the basement of the Courthouse Annex building. During Early Voting the office is open 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Monday – Friday and from 8:00 – Noon on Saturdays.

Absentee By-Mail Voting – Under some circumstances registered voters may request a paper ballot to be mailed to them. The ballot must be returned to the Election Commission via the United States Postal Service. The first day to request a ballot is 90 days before the election and the last date to request a ballot is 7 days prior to election day. All ballots must be received by the Giles County Election Commission via United States mail no later than the close of the voting polls of the election day.

Download Absentee Request Form | Military/Overseas Absentee Request Information

1. Am I eligible to vote absentee by-mail?
You can vote absentee by-mail if you fall under one of the following categories:

• You are sixty (60) years of age or older.
• You will be outside the county where you are registered during the early voting period and all day on Election Day.
• You are hospitalized, ill or physically disabled and unable to appear at your polling place to vote. A physician’s statement is not required to check this box.
• You are the caretaker of a person who is hospitalized, ill, or disabled. A physician’s statement is not required to check this box.
• You or your spouse is a full-time student in an accredited college or university outside the county where you are registered.
• You reside in a nursing home, assisted living facility or home for the aged outside your county of residence.
• You are a candidate for office in the election.
• You are observing a religious holiday that prevents you from voting in person during the early voting period and on Election Day.
• You serve as an Election Day official or as a member or employee of the election commission.
• You will be unable to vote in-person due to jury duty.
• You have a disability and an inaccessible polling place.
• You or your spouse possesses a valid commercial driver’s license (CDL) or Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) card, and you will be working outside the state or county of registration during the open hours of early voting and Election Day and have no specific out-of-county or out-of-state address to which mail may be sent or received during such time.
• You are a member of the military or are an overseas citizen.
• You are on the permanent absentee list.

2. How can I request an absentee by-mail ballot?
You must submit a written request containing the information below to the Giles County Election Commission office by the tenth day before Election Day. You can use the absentee ballot request form to make sure all required information is provided.

You can submit your request for an absentee by-mail ballot by USPS, fax, or e-mail. If emailing your request, be sure the attached document contains the information below and your scanned signature.

• • Name of the registered voter
  • Residential address of the voter
  • Voter’s social security number
  • Voter’s date of birth
  • Address where to mail the ballot
  • The election in which the voter wishes to participate. If the election involves a primary, designate the political party in which the voter wishes to participate.
  • Reason the voter wishes to vote absentee by-mail. If applicable, a copy of the CDL containing the CDL number or the TWIC card must be included in the voter’s request.
  • Voter’s signature

A request that contains this information will be processed and a ballot will be mailed to the voter.

NOTICE: A person who is not an employee of an election commission commits a Class E felony if such person gives an application for an absentee ballot to any person or commits a Class A misdemeanor if such person gives an unsolicited request for application for absentee ballot to any person. T.C.A. § 2-6-202(c)(3) and (4).

3. What if I do not provide all of the information required on the absentee by-mail ballot application?
The county election commission will return the application to you so you can make corrections and resubmit your application.

4. Do I qualify for the permanent absentee list?
You will automatically receive an application for ballot for each election if your licensed physician signs a statement stating that, in their judgment, you are medically unable to vote in person. The statement must be filed not less than ten (10) days before       the election and signed under the penalty of perjury.

5. When can I request my ballot?
You may request an absentee by-mail ballot no earlier than ninety (90) days before the election and no later than ten (10) days before the election. To be processed for the next election, the application must be received by the election commission no               later than ten (10) days before the election.

6. What if I do not receive or ruin my ballot and can no longer use it?
You should notify your county election commission.

7. What is the deadline to return my ballot so it can be counted?
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.

8. Can I hand deliver my ballot to the election office?
No. You must return your ballot by mail (USPS, FedEx, UPS, etc.).

9. Is any additional information needed if I registered to vote by mail?
Unless you are on the permanent absentee voting register or enrolled in the Safe at Home program, you must appear in-person to vote in the first election after you have registered by mail. If you have already voted in-person since you registered, then           no additional information will be required to vote by mail.

10. Can I vote if I have a felony conviction?
The State of Tennessee provides guidance on the restoration of voting rights following a felony conviction. Restoring voting rights depends in part on when your conviction took place and what charges you were convicted of.