Voter Registration

The voter registration form and instructions for the State of Tennessee are available athttp://www.state.tn.us/sos/election/forms/ss-3010.pdf .  Copies of the form may also be obtained from the Office of Active Citizenship and Service or the front desk at the Sarratt Student Center.  Please note that the deadline for voter registration in Tennessee is thirty days before an election.  Election Day is Tuesday, November 6, 2012. The deadline for submission of the voter registration form is 5pm on Monday, October 8, 2012.

Before registering in Tennessee, students from other states should be aware of some recent developments in Tennessee elections laws and regulations.  Specifically, the state has reemphasized its residency requirements, including a statement that attending a university in the state is not sufficient by itself to establish residency:  http://www.tn.gov/sos/election/residency.htm .  In addition, the new Tennessee photo identification requirement specifies that university identification cards will not be accepted at the polls: http://www.tn.gov/sos/election/photoID.htm.

Given these developments, it is possible that students using an out-of-state driver’s license or a passport with an out-of-state address may have their residency challenged at the polls.  Accordingly, Vanderbilt strongly encourages its students who may be considered out-of-state residents, to register in their home states and vote by absentee ballot.  The United States Election Assistance Commission provides information regarding voter registration and links to all state election commission sites at http://www.eac.gov/voter_resources/contact_your_state.aspx.  Voter registration information and requirements also may be found at http://www.canivote.org/ .