Tennessee Senate Bill SB1029

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/5/25
• Failed: 3/25/26

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2, Chapter 6, Part 5, relative to absentee ballots.

Summary

SB1029 would revise Tennessee’s absentee voting rules for military voters, civilian overseas voters, and federal-only voters under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). The bill defines those voter categories in state law and requires applicants for temporary registration or UOCAVA absentee voting to submit documentary proof of U.S. citizenship and, for overseas voters, proof of overseas residence. It also directs county election commissions to review applications for missing information, notify applicants of deficiencies, and reject applications that do not meet the new documentation requirements. The bill further changes how UOCAVA ballots are requested, delivered, tracked, cured, and counted. It authorizes electronic application procedures and electronic delivery of blank ballots, requires a free-access system so voters can check ballot status, and creates a provisional-cure process for certain mismatches in identifying information. It also requires a new affidavit and witness requirements for UOCAVA ballots, prohibits completed ballots from being returned electronically, and mandates public reporting of ballot counts by voter category. The bill updates Tennessee’s statutory reference to the current federal UOCAVA citation.

Impact

If enacted, SB1029 would significantly tighten and formalize Tennessee’s absentee voting procedures for military and overseas voters by adding citizenship and residency documentation requirements, new rejection and notification procedures, and detailed ballot-processing rules. It would amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2, Chapter 6, Part 5, especially Section 2-6-502, and would require the secretary of state and county election commissions to adopt new administrative procedures for electronic applications, ballot delivery, ballot tracking, and public reporting. The bill would affect military personnel, spouses and dependents, civilian overseas voters, federal-only voters, and county election officials responsible for processing UOCAVA applications and ballots.

Sentiment

The available voting history suggests the bill was not well received in committee, as it failed in the Senate State and Local Government Committee by a 2-7 vote. No committee transcript is provided, so there is no recorded floor or committee debate to show support arguments in detail. Based on the text alone, the bill appears to be framed as an election-integrity and verification measure, but the committee outcome indicates substantial opposition or concern among members.

Contention

The main points of contention are likely the new proof-of-citizenship and proof-of-overseas-residence requirements, which could be viewed as adding barriers for military and overseas voters who already face logistical challenges. Another likely issue is the bill’s detailed rejection and cure procedures, including the possibility of provisional absentee ballots for mismatched information and the prohibition on accepting electronically returned completed ballots. Supporters would likely emphasize verification, accuracy, and public transparency, while opponents would likely focus on access, administrative burden, and the risk of disenfranchising eligible UOCAVA voters. The 2-7 committee vote indicates these concerns outweighed support at the committee stage.