Tennessee Code Annotated
Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-7-115 (2026)
Residence requirements - Primary election voting requirements
✓ current as of May 2026
- (a) A voter may vote only in the precinct where the voter resides and is registered, but if a registered voter has, at any time prior to voting, changed residence to another place inside the county, the voter must vote pursuant to § 2-7-140. If a registered voter has, within ninety (90) days before a state primary or general election or federal primary or general election, changed residence to another place inside Tennessee but outside the county where the voter is registered, the voter may vote in the polling place where the voter is registered. If the voter has, within ninety (90) days before an election, changed name by marriage or otherwise, the voter may vote in the polling place where the voter is registered or is entitled to vote under § 2-7-140.
- (b) A registered voter is entitled to vote in a primary election for offices for which the voter is qualified to vote at the polling place where the voter is registered if:
- (1) The voter is a bona fide member of and affiliated with the political party in whose primary the voter seeks to vote; or
- (2) At the time the voter seeks to vote, the voter declares allegiance to the political party in whose primary the voter seeks to vote and states that the voter intends to affiliate with that party.
- (c)
- (1) On primary election days, a sign that is a minimum of eight and one-half inches by eleven inches (8.5"x11") with a yellow background and bold, black text containing the following language must be posted in each polling place:
It's the Law! Please Read...
It is a violation of Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-7-115(b), and punishable as a crime under Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-19-102 or Section 2-19-107, if a person votes in a political party's primary without being a bona fide member of or affiliated with that political party, or to declare allegiance to that party without the intent to affiliate with that party.
- (2) The officer of elections at each polling place shall ensure that the sign prescribed by subdivision (c)(1) is posted in a prominent, highly visible location within the polling place.
- (1) On primary election days, a sign that is a minimum of eight and one-half inches by eleven inches (8.5"x11") with a yellow background and bold, black text containing the following language must be posted in each polling place:
Amended by 2023 Tenn. Acts, ch. 473, s 1, eff. 5/17/2023.
Acts 1972, ch. 740, § 1; 1974, ch. 801, § 1; T.C.A., §2-715; Acts 1997 , ch. 550, § 9; 2000, ch. 756, § 14.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 8
cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1981–2024 · leading case: Tashjian v. Repub. Party of Connecticut, 479 U.S. 208 (1986).
Tashjian v. Repub. Party of Connecticut, 479 U.S. 208 (1986). “1985); Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-7-115 (b)(2) (1985); Tex.”
Democratic Party of United States v. Wisconsin Ex Rel. La Follette, 450 U.S. 107 (1981). “, Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-7-115 (b) (2) (1979).”
Green Party of Tennessee v. Hargett, 882 F. Supp. 2d 959 (M.D. Tenn. 2012). “” Defendants note that under Tenn.Code Ann. § 2-7-115(b) only voters who are members of the party or declare their allegiance to the party may vote in the party’s primary.”
Taylor v. Armentrout, 632 S.W.2d 107 (Tenn. 1981). “Under TCA § 2-7-115(a), if a registered voter has moved outside the precinct where he is registered within 90 days before an election, he may still vote in the polling place where he is registered.”
Washington State Repub. Party v. Logan, 377 F. Supp. 2d 907 (W.D. Wash. 2005). “Codified Laws § 12-6-26 ; Tenn.Code Ann. § 2-7-115; Tex. Elec.Code Ann.”
Mississippi State Democratic Party v. Barbour, 491 F. Supp. 2d 641 (N.D. Miss. 2007). “§ 3-10-1-6; Tennessee, Tenn.Code Ann. § 2-7-115; and Texas, V.T.”
Ashe v. Hargett (M.D. Tenn. 2024). “Specifically, Plaintiffs allege that Section 115(b) is unconstitutionally vague in violation of Plaintiffs’ right to due process of law under the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, and that Sections 115(b) and (c) both deter voting and chill their freedom of…”
Mark A. Skidmore v. Darlean McDougal (Tenn. Ct. App. 2008). “The General Assembly has furthered these goals by requiring that “[a] person shall be registered as a voter of the precinct in which the person is a resident,” Tenn.”
Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-7-115(a): 1 case
Taylor v. Armentrout, 632 S.W.2d 107 (Tenn. 1981). “Under TCA § 2-7-115(a), if a registered voter has moved outside the precinct where he is registered within 90 days before an election, he may still vote in the polling place where he is registered.”
Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-7-115(b): 2 cases
Green Party of Tennessee v. Hargett, 882 F. Supp. 2d 959 (M.D. Tenn. 2012). “” Defendants note that under Tenn.Code Ann. § 2-7-115(b) only voters who are members of the party or declare their allegiance to the party may vote in the party’s primary.”
Ashe v. Hargett (M.D. Tenn. 2024). “Specifically, Plaintiffs allege that Section 115(b) is unconstitutionally vague in violation of Plaintiffs’ right to due process of law under the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, and that Sections 115(b) and (c) both deter voting and chill their freedom of…”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the
Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and
treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.