View Scorecard for Year
Responsive Gov’s Grade TL;DR
Continuing a trajectory of restrictive policymaking, the Tennessee General Assembly largely focused on narrowing voter access this session. Notably, the Legislature tightened identification mandates by expressly disqualifying digital driver’s licenses as valid forms of ID. Conversely, while the state’s rights restoration process for formerly incarcerated individuals remains among the most burdensome in the nation, lawmakers did take incremental steps to clarify the process. Balancing these factors, Tennessee earned a C- on this year’s progress report.
Looking Back
Where Tennessee Started at the Beginning of 2025
- Automatic Voter Registration: No
- Online Voter Registration: DMV ID
- Same-Day Registration: No
- Restoration of Rights: Some Permanent Disenfranchisement
- Vote by Mail: Excuse-Required
- Electronic Registration Information Center Member: No
- Early Voting Opportunities: Regular Ballot Early Voting
- ID Requirements: Strict Photo ID
Relying on the Cost of Voting Index for Tennessee as of 2024, we considered the state a bottom tier state for pre-existing voting policy and compared its 2025 activity against other bottom tier states.
How Our Tier Compares
2025: This Past Year
Legislative Action
While the Tennessee General Assembly slightly simplified the administrative burden on individuals aiming to restore their voting rights, it also tightened voter ID laws to further restrict the types of IDs that may be used.
- HB 1316 / SB 1297 explicitly prohibits digital driver’s licenses from being accepted as voter ID.
- SB 407 / HB 445 revises the process for restoration of voting rights to allow individuals that have lost their voting right due to a criminal conviction to have it restored without having to have their “full rights of citizenship” restored.
- HB 69 / SB 133 requires the state to establish two secure electronic portals for county election officials to verify voter citizenship status and felony conviction status by January 2028. And starting in January 2028, it requires election officials to access those portals to view voter applicant records to ensure applicants are qualified US citizens without putting the onus on voters to proactively produce documents. The bill also requires individuals seeking to renew their driver’s licenses after January 1, 2026 to provide proof of citizenship.