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A few things to keep in mind:

1. You need to register at least 30 days before the election you plan to vote in.

2. You'll need a state-issued ID to vote in person. (Accepted: driver’s license or DMV-issued state ID; gun permit; passport; military ID. Not accepted: college ID.)

3. You have to vote in person the first time you vote. If you’ll be out of the county where you’re registered to vote on Election Day, try to vote during the early election period. If you’ll be gone then too—you’re off at college, for example—stop by your county election office before you leave town and show them your driver’s license. Then you’ll be able to vote absentee. Request and return your absentee ballot as early as possible, as it must be returned by mail.

4. Once you’ve voted in person once, you can vote absentee if you’re at least 60 years old or you meet any of these qualifications.

5. You may not be eligible to vote if you’ve been convicted of a felony. Please ask your county election office for assistance. Information on the Tennessee Secretary of State’s website has not been updated to reflect current law.

Look for the signs. Literally.

Many state governments send out voter guides to let people know about upcoming elections, who's running for what, and where candidates stand on important issues. That's not the case in Tennessee, where there is little voter outreach compared to other states. Often the first indication that an election is coming up in Tennessee is that campaign signs start popping up on roadsides and street corners.

For state races (Tennessee House, Senate, and governor) and federal races (US Congress, Senate, and president), the primary election happens in August and the general election happens in November. (The exact date changes from year to year.) 

County and city election dates vary—but please don't sit one out. Your county commission, school board, mayor, and city council make a lot of decisions that directly affect you and your family, like how your property taxes are spent and how local schools are funded. 

So when you see the signs, check here to see the exact dates.

Ask Google. Ask your neighbors. Better yet, ask the candidates.

Most candidates have a website or at least a Facebook page that explains their background and where they stand on the issues. Read the literature candidates leave on your door, but don't let that be your only guide. (Any campaign literature paints the candidate in the best possible light.) If there's an email address on the literature, email the candidate to ask them about the issues most important to you. If you have a friendly neighbor with a candidate's sign in their yard, ask them why they support that candidate. And if a candidate comes to your door, use that opportunity to ask important questions in person. 

That's a little tricky.

The "Find My Legislator" tab on the Tennessee General Assembly (TGA) website shows how your

state representative and senator voted on proposed bills. You can also look up any bill and see how it moved through the legislative process.

• Legislation usually moves through both chambers of the TGA, so it will have both a House bill number and a Senate bill number. For example, the first-of-its-kind 2022 legislation that made it a felony to sleep on the sidewalk in Tennessee was SB1610/HB0978. Searching either bill number will get you there.

• It's hard to judge the full impact of a bill just by reading it.  If you want to learn more, google "Tennessee" and the bill number as it appears on the TGA website. If it's a controversial or especially important piece of legislation, chances are you'll find a news story that explains it in simple terms, including the arguments for and against it.

• Before the full State House or Senate votes on a bill, it has to pass through a committee (a smaller group of lawmakers who focus on a particular category of legislation). If a bill never made it through committee, your state representative or senator didn't vote on it unless they were on that committee.

• Sometimes a bill will move through committee by "voice vote" (ayes versus nays). When that happens, individual votes aren't recorded. 

General rule: Tennessee's laws, and the outcomes of those laws, reflect the views of the majority party in the state legislature (the Tennessee General Assembly). 

Because one political party has had full control of Tennessee's government (governor and both branches of the General Assembly) for thirteen years, it's safe to say that Tennessee's rankings compared to other states when it comes to education, crime, health, poverty, the economy, and other metrics are the outcomes of that party's policies. The nonpartisan organization Think Tennessee has a "State of Our State" dashboard that shows how Tennessee ranks on 134 metrics.

Glad you asked!

If you made it this far, you're engaged! What about your family and friends? Are they engaged too? What about your neighbors? Your coworkers? Send them our way! 

We all have a part to play in making Tennessee's government work for all Tennesseans. That begins with getting informed and voting in every election.