Knox County Tennesee
Absentee Voting Inside United States
-Who May Vote By Absentee Ballot
Voters who will be absent during the early voting period and on election day and voters who cannot reach their polling place due to incapacity may vote absentee. Applications for an absentee ballot may be made at the office of the Knox County Election Commission or by mail. Time periods allowed for voting absentee are published in the local newspaper. This information is also available by calling the Election Commission. Persons who will be out-of-town on election day may take advantage of early voting.
-Absentee Voting By Mail
If you meet one of the following criteria listed below, click here to print the Request For Absentee Ballot.
1. Persons who are currently over the age of 65.
2. Will be out of the county during the early voting period and will not return before the polls close on election day.
3. Persons who are physically disabled and have filed a doctor's statement verifying their disability.
4. Full time students (or the spouse of a student) attending a school inside or outside Tennessee and outside the county in which they are registered.
5. Handicapped voters whose polling place is inaccessible.
6. Persons who are unable to appear during the early voting period or at their polling place on election day due to serving on a state or federal court jury.
7. Candidates for an office in the election.
8. Election officials or members of the election commission.
9. Observance of Religious Holiday.
10. Commercial driver working out of county.
-Absentee Ballot Request for Active Duty Personnel and Overseas Voters
( Click here to print pdf )
Print the completed Federal Post Card Application Form (FPCA), sign and date, place the form in an envelope, affix proper postage and address to the local election official.
-Permanent Absentee
Each Election Commission office maintains a permanent absentee ballot list. This is a list of persons who have filed a letter of request to be placed on the absentee list and who have filed a doctor's statement verifying the need for an absentee ballot due to a disability. These voters remain on this list and are automatically mailed an application for each election. If the voter wishes to vote in the election, he or she signs the application, marks a party preference if needed, and then returns the application to the Election Commission office. The voter is then mailed an absentee ballot. Each election commission office has a program that places any licensed nursing home on a voting list. The Election Commission sends two election officials to take the ballots of residents on the voting list. The two officials are of different political parties should the residents require assistance such as reading or marking their ballots. The ballots are marked at the nursing home, returned to the Election Commission office, locked in a ballot box until election day, then they are opened and the votes are counted on election day.
