The person behind the name
Charlie Hatcher’s public career grew out of a livestock veterinary practice and a family dairy farm in Williamson County.
Hatcher is a veterinarian and dairy farmer whose family farm is in College Grove. He served as Tennessee’s commissioner of agriculture from January 2019 until his retirement in 2025. On August 6, 2026 he defeated U.S. Representative Andy Ogles in the Republican primary for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District. A county election commission’s list of qualified candidates for November 3 names him as the Republican on the ballot, with Democrat Chaz Molder and two independents. [1][2][3][4]
Education and professional preparation
A speaker biography published by the Economic Club of Nashville in 2022 lists a B.S. in animal science from Middle Tennessee State University (1980) and a doctorate of veterinary medicine from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville (1984). The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture identifies him as a 1984 alumnus of its veterinary college. The Williamson Herald reported that he was born in 1958. [4][6][7]
Practice, dairy and state service
The same biography says he founded Rock-N-Country Veterinary Services in College Grove in 1993, specializing in livestock, and that Hatcher Family Dairy began bottling its own milk in 2007. In a 2024 alumni interview he said he worked predominantly as a livestock veterinarian for more than two decades, and that one notable client was Triple L Ranch, a beef cattle farm owned by Bill Lee and his family. [4][6]
He served ten years as state veterinarian at the Tennessee Department of Agriculture; Tennessee Lookout dates the start of that post to 2009. He was sworn in as the state’s 38th commissioner of agriculture on January 19, 2019, at the start of Governor Lee’s administration. The governor’s office announced his retirement on September 3, 2025, citing nearly seven years as commissioner and more than 21 years of state service. Andy Holt was appointed to succeed him effective October 1, 2025. [3][4][8]
A district redrawn in 2026
Governor Lee called a special legislative session to review the congressional map, beginning May 5, 2026. Tennessee Lookout reported that Republican lawmakers redrew the U.S. House map on May 7 and that a federal judge declined to block it. The outlet described the new 5th District as an upside-down horseshoe reaching from southwest Memphis to the state’s northern border and back to Middle Tennessee, across parts of 17 counties. WPLN lists them as Williamson, Maury, Lewis, Hickman, Montgomery, Humphreys, Houston, Stewart, Benton, Henry, Weakley, Obion, Lake, Dyer, Lauderdale, Tipton and Shelby. Hatcher had retired from state government before the map was enacted. [3][9][10][11][12]
A note on the generation counts. The campaign calls Hatcher a fifth-generation Tennessee dairy farmer on land his family has worked for over 200 years. In the 2024 alumni interview he called himself a tenth-generation farmer and said the family has farmed in the Arno and College Grove area since 1819. His 2022 speaker biography uses both counts, a tenth-generation American farmer and a fifth-generation Tennessee farmer, and dates the College Grove farm to 1831. The figures count different things. None is independently verified here. [4][6][13]
Life & public service
From a College Grove veterinary practice to the state cabinet and a congressional nomination, these are the documented milestones.
Degree in animal science
Earned a B.S. in animal science from Middle Tennessee State University, according to his 2022 speaker biography. [4]
A livestock practice in College Grove
Founded Rock-N-Country Veterinary Services, specializing in livestock. [4]
The dairy begins bottling
Hatcher Family Dairy began bottling its own milk, according to the 2022 biography, which names his son, Charles, as president of the business. [4]
A debate challenge
On September 10 Molder challenged him to three debates. Hatcher said he wanted “a well-structured forum” at a time and place that works for both candidates; the report lists no agreed date. [20]
Accomplishments, in the record
Official releases, election documents and contemporaneous reporting establish the following work. Outcomes are described at the level supported by those records, with shared credit where other officials were principal authors.
From livestock practice to state veterinarian
His 2022 speaker biography says he founded Rock-N-Country Veterinary Services in College Grove in 1993 and later served ten years as state veterinarian for the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, a tenure the governor’s office also records. In a 2024 University of Tennessee alumni interview he said he had worked “predominantly as a livestock veterinarian, specializing in dairy and beef cattle” for over two decades. These are biographical statements; this profile did not read licensing records. [3][4][6]
Nearly seven years leading the agriculture department
The governor’s office announced on September 3, 2025 that Hatcher would retire “after nearly seven years of service as commissioner, and more than 21 years of state service.” A 2022 speaker biography gives his swearing-in date as January 19, 2019 and numbers him the state’s 38th commissioner of agriculture. [3][4]
In the release Governor Lee said that under Hatcher’s leadership the department “has made significant investments in our rural communities and safeguarded our food supply.” The release says the department supported “nearly 70,000 farming families.” That is an administration describing its own cabinet member. The release offers no independent measure of those investments, and this profile does not supply one. [3]
A conservation-easement fund becomes law
Governor Lee signed the Farmland Preservation Act, SB 207, on May 12, 2025. The governor’s release says the law creates a grant fund to support farmers who “voluntarily choose to protect their farmland.” It names Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson and House Majority Leader William Lamberth as the sponsors. [16]
Hatcher’s role was as the administration’s agriculture commissioner. In the release he said, “We are proud to partner with Governor Lee and the legislature to create this program.” Tennessee Lookout reported that the measure put $25 million into a grant fund handled by his department, and that a 2024 version never made it out of a Senate committee. At his retirement Hatcher described the effort as the governor’s vision, which he was proud to have played a role in carrying forward. The record does not make him the bill’s author. [3][16][17]
A $20 million request for farm programs
In November 2024 the department under Hatcher sought an additional $20 million: $15 million for the Agricultural Enterprise Fund and $5 million for the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program, Tennessee Lookout reported from the department’s budget presentation. The outlet quoted him: “In a rural county, a dozen new jobs is significant.” The article documents a request, not an appropriation; this profile did not read the enacted budget. [21]
Unseating a two-term congressman
Hatcher challenged Ogles in the August 6, 2026 Republican primary. Tennessee Lookout reported that Hatcher had 53.2% to Ogles’ 46.8% when the Associated Press called the race at 9:10 p.m., and later gave his total as 36,544 votes. Those are unofficial figures as reported by the outlet; this profile did not read the state’s certified totals. WPLN independently reported that Ogles lost the primary. [2][19][22]
The Montgomery County Election Commission’s list of qualified candidates for November 3, 2026 shows four names for U.S. House District 5: Charlie Hatcher (R), Chaz Molder (D), and independents James A. Johnson and Michael (Me-Haul) O’Leary. [1]
Faith, family & community
Hatcher’s 2022 speaker biography names his wife of forty years, Sharon; a daughter, Jennifer, who is also a veterinarian; and a son, Charles, who serves as president of the dairy business. In the 2024 alumni interview he called it his proudest accomplishment that his entire family lives on the dairy farm and is involved in agriculture. [4][6]
His campaign website describes him as a “Christian family man.” The sources reviewed name no congregation or denomination, and this profile does not assign one. [13]
In July 2026 he spoke to the Franklin Noon Rotary Club about his family’s history in the Arno community. The Williamson Herald reported that the family chose to bottle all of the dairy’s milk and that the farm introduced robotic milking two years earlier. [7]
His mission for Tennessee
You want something hard done right? Hire a farmer.
Hatcher’s campaign website is a single page with a slogan and a short biography; it lists no detailed platform. The positions below come from that page and from his statements to Tennessee news outlets. They are positions and proposals, not accomplishments. [13]
01Guns, abortion and President Trump
02Farmland and food security
He told the Williamson Herald, “Food security is national security.” He said Tennessee is losing roughly 10 acres of farmland per hour and that preserving farmland is imperative. [23]
03Farm labor and legal immigration
On immigration he pointed to legal routes for agricultural workers, naming the H-2A worker program. [23]
04Federal spending and debt
He pointed to a national debt of nearly $40 trillion and said his priorities in Congress would include balancing the federal budget. [23]
05Education
The Herald reported that he supports dismantling the U.S. Department of Education and returning education decisions to state and local governments. [23]
06Energy
Tennessee Lookout quoted him saying he is “for all forms of energy that make sense,” but that they “have to stand alone themselves once they get off the ground.” He said he does not like subsidizing renewable energy for a long period and is proud of Tennessee “leading the country on nuclear energy.” [24]
07Trade and beef imports
After President Trump announced a 90-day pause on beef tariffs, Hatcher said he supports the goal of lowering grocery prices, “but the long-term answer is producing more food here at home.” WPLN reported that he had questions about the measure. [25]
08Cost of living
In responses printed by Tennessee Lookout before the primary he tied living costs to energy prices. On infrastructure he said, “I do not believe the answer is simply more government spending.” [11]
How to assess a proposal. A campaign plan states an intention. Enactment, implementation costs, replacement revenue, and measured results are separate questions. These priorities should be read alongside the documented record above.
The fuller record
A useful profile includes policy tradeoffs, the limits of a claim, and responses to material criticism.
Outside money in the primary
Tennessee Lookout reported that the Invest in Tomorrow Coalition, a political action committee backed by renewable energy executives, put $2 million into advertising supporting Hatcher or opposing Ogles after May 15. It reported that the Freedom Caucus Fund spent more than $810,000 supporting Ogles or opposing Hatcher over the same period. Ogles said the “same folks that funded Kamala Harris’ campaign” were “funding my opponent.” The outlet wrote that the PAC did not fund Harris’ campaign, but that some of its individual donors did. The articles reviewed record no response from Hatcher about the spending, which they describe as independent advertising. In September the Lookout quoted Hatcher saying he does not like subsidizing renewable energy “for a long period of time.” [2][19][24][26]
Trump backed his opponent first
President Trump endorsed Ogles in October 2025 and held a tele-rally for him in late July 2026. Hatcher’s reply to the endorsement, as quoted by Tennessee Lookout: “Never quit anything before, not quitting now. Looking forward to earning Trump’s support.” The day after the primary Trump gave Hatcher his “complete and total endorsement” for the general election. Hatcher campaigns as “Pro-Trump”; in August 2026 he also publicly questioned the president’s pause on beef tariffs. Endorsements establish political backing. They are not evaluations of the record described here. [13][18][19][25][26]
A long relationship with the governor
Hatcher has said the Lee family’s cattle ranch was a client of his veterinary practice before Lee became governor and named him commissioner. Lee endorsed him two days before the primary, saying, “I’m a cattleman. He was our veterinarian. I know Charlie.” WPLN reported that the two have been friends for 25 years. Former Governor Bill Haslam, former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue and former U.S. Representative Zach Wamp also backed him. The sources reviewed record no formal complaint about the appointment; the relationship is noted because both men have described it publicly. [6][19][27][28][29]
Department hemp rules halted in court
Department of Agriculture rules requiring THCA testing of hemp products were set to take effect December 26, 2024, while Hatcher was commissioner. Tennessee Lookout’s headline described them as rules that would have banned popular hemp products. Two industry groups, the Tennessee Growers Coalition and the Tennessee Healthy Alternatives Association, sued. Davidson County Chancellor I’Ashea Myles issued a temporary injunction, which Tennessee Lookout later reported would stay in effect until a trial set for June 5, 2025. The department said, “We respect the court’s decision and look forward to reaching a final resolution of these matters.” A temporary injunction is not a final ruling. The articles do not name Hatcher, and this profile did not read the outcome of the case. [14][15]
A wide fundraising gap
Tennessee Lookout reported in July 2026 that Hatcher had raised $694,478 since August 1, 2025 and entered the primary with $186,563 on hand. On primary night it reported that Molder had raised $2.6 million this cycle with nearly $1.5 million remaining. In April, citing Federal Election Commission filings through the end of March, the outlet put Hatcher’s campaign account at around $150,000. This profile could not retrieve the filings directly and gives the figures as the outlet reported them. [2][11][30]
What the campaign biography leaves undocumented
The campaign site says Hatcher “started eight successful businesses from scratch,” calls him an author, and says, “For the past seven years he’s served Tennessee as the Ag Commissioner.” The sources reviewed identify two of the businesses, the veterinary practice and the dairy’s bottling operation, and name no book title. The governor’s office put his tenure at “nearly seven years,” with his successor taking office October 1, 2025. [3][4][13]
Questions & answers
Who is Charlie Hatcher?
Charlie Hatcher is a veterinarian and dairy farmer from College Grove, Tennessee. He served ten years as state veterinarian and then as Tennessee’s commissioner of agriculture from January 2019 until his retirement in 2025. He is the 2026 Republican nominee for U.S. House in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District. [1][3][4]
What office is Charlie Hatcher running for in 2026?
Who is Charlie Hatcher running against?
When is the election?
What happened to Andy Ogles in the 2026 primary?
What are Charlie Hatcher’s main campaign priorities?
His campaign site’s title line reads “Pro-Gun. Pro-Life. Pro-Trump. Farm Strong.” In interviews he has stressed farmland preservation and food security, balancing the federal budget, legal farm-labor programs such as H-2A, returning education decisions to states, and energy sources that stand without long-term subsidies. [13][23][24]
What is Charlie Hatcher’s professional background?
His 2022 speaker biography lists a veterinary degree from the University of Tennessee (1984), a livestock practice he founded in College Grove in 1993, and Hatcher Family Dairy, which began bottling its own milk in 2007. The sources reviewed show state posts as state veterinarian and commissioner of agriculture, and no elected office. [3][4]
The sources behind the story
Government releases and election documents anchor the record. Professional biographies establish attributed background; original reporting supplies election results and scrutiny. Campaign materials are used for the candidate’s own priorities and claims.
- 01Qualified Candidates: November 3, 2026 – State General and City of ClarksvilleMontgomery County Election Commission · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
County election commission’s list for the November 3, 2026 ballot. For U.S. House District 5 it names Charlie Hatcher (R), Chaz Molder (D) and two independents. It covers one of the district’s 17 counties and is not a statewide certified list.Government / regulatory record - 02Former Tennessee agriculture commissioner Charlie Hatcher knocks Andy Ogles out of 5th District raceTennessee Lookout · Aug. 6, 2026
Cassandra Stephenson’s primary-night report: the Associated Press call, the 53.2%–46.8% margin, outside spending and cash on hand. Percentages are unofficial election-night figures.Independent reporting - 03Gov. Lee Announces Key Leadership Transition at TN Department of AgricultureOffice of Governor Bill Lee · Sept. 3, 2025
Official announcement of Hatcher’s retirement, his length of service and his successor. Its praise is the administration’s description of its own cabinet member, not an audit.Government / regulatory record - 04Dr. Charlie Hatcher, Tennessee’s Commissioner of AgricultureEconomic Club of Nashville · Apr. 5, 2022
Speaker biography for a 2022 event: degrees and years, the 1993 veterinary practice, the dairy, family members and the January 19, 2019 swearing-in. A biography supplied for an appearance, not an independent record.Independent analysis / professional record - 05Current/Upcoming Elections: Tuesday, November 3, 2026 ElectionMontgomery County Election Commission · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
County election authority’s page for the November 3, 2026 election, linking the qualified-candidates list. Registration and early-voting dates were not read from it.Government / regulatory record - 06Charlie Hatcher | Outstanding in Their FieldUniversity of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture · July 23, 2024
Alumni question-and-answer feature in Hatcher’s own words: his veterinary career, the Lee family ranch as a client, and the family’s farming history. First-person statements, not independently verified.Independent analysis / professional record - 07Charlie Hatcher shares family history at Franklin Noon RotaryWilliamson Herald · July 2026
Report on Hatcher’s July 9, 2026 Rotary talk: birth year, the dairy’s history and a one-line summary of his platform. The page shows no publication date.Independent reporting - 08TN Agriculture Department Commissioner Charlie Hatcher to retire; Andy Holt will fill roleTennessee Lookout · Sept. 3, 2025
Independent report of the retirement announcement; dates the start of Hatcher’s service as state veterinarian to 2009.Independent reporting - 09Gov. Lee Calls Special Legislative Session to Review Congressional MapOffice of Governor Bill Lee · May 1, 2026
Official call for the special session that began May 5, 2026. It does not itself describe the new district lines.Government / regulatory record - 10Who’s running in Tennessee’s new 2026 U.S. Congress racesTennessee Lookout · May 18, 2026
Adam Friedman’s report: lawmakers redrew the U.S. House map on May 7, 2026, a one-week qualifying period followed, and a federal judge declined to block the map.Independent reporting - 11Tennessee District 5 candidates vie for constituents spread across the state’s extremesTennessee Lookout · July 17, 2026
Describes the redrawn district across parts of 17 counties, prints Hatcher’s responses on costs, food security, trade and infrastructure, and gives his fundraising total.Independent reporting - 12Tennessee redrew its congressional map. Here’s who’s on your primary ballot.WPLN News · July 16, 2026
Lists the 17 counties in the new 5th District and the primary fields: Ogles and Hatcher for the Republicans, five Democrats.Independent reporting - 13Charlie Hatcher – Pro-Gun. Pro-Life. Pro-Trump. Farm Strong.Charlie Hatcher for Congress · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
The campaign’s single-page website: slogan, short biography, social links and disclaimer. Used only for the campaign’s own words. It lists no detailed platform.Campaign source - 14Judge temporarily blocks new Tennessee rules that would have banned popular hemp productsTennessee Lookout · Dec. 23, 2024
Anita Wadhwani’s report on the temporary injunction against Department of Agriculture hemp-testing rules, with the department’s response. It does not name Hatcher.Independent reporting - 15Tennessee hemp industry gets legal reprieve from product ban until summerTennessee Lookout · Feb. 4, 2025
Follow-up report: the injunction stays in effect until a trial set for June 5, 2025. It does not establish the final outcome of the case.Independent reporting - 16Gov. Lee Signs Farmland Preservation Act Into LawOffice of Governor Bill Lee · May 12, 2025
Official signing announcement for SB 207, naming the legislative sponsors and quoting Commissioner Hatcher. It states the farmland-loss rate as the administration’s figure.Government / regulatory record - 17Tennessee governor revives farm conservation bill with $25 million fundTennessee Lookout · Feb. 13, 2025
Sam Stockard’s report on the $25 million easement fund handled by the Department of Agriculture and on the 2024 version that stalled in a Senate committee.Independent reporting - 18Trump backs embattled Ogles in Tennessee race against HatcherTennessee Lookout · Oct. 29, 2025
Shows Hatcher was a declared primary challenger by late October 2025 and quotes his reaction to the president’s endorsement of his opponent.Independent reporting - 19After Ogles’ primary defeat, Trump flips endorsement to Hatcher for Tennessee’s 5th DistrictTennessee Lookout · Aug. 7, 2026
Reports President Trump’s post-primary endorsement, Hatcher’s 36,544-vote total, Governor Lee’s endorsement and the redistricting background.Independent reporting - 20Hatcher says he’s amenable to Molder’s challenge to debate before 5th District electionTennessee Lookout · Sept. 10, 2026
Molder’s challenge to three debates and Hatcher’s telephone-interview response. The article reports no agreed date, host or format.Independent reporting - 21Agriculture Dept. seeks additional $20M to support farm cost-sharing, development programsTennessee Lookout · Nov. 14, 2024
Report on the department’s budget presentation under Hatcher. It documents a request, not an enacted appropriation.Independent reporting - 22Incumbent and Trump pick Ogles loses GOP primary for Tennessee District 5WPLN News · Aug. 6, 2026
Second independent report of the primary result; names Molder as the general-election opponent and notes endorsements by Governor Lee and former Governor Haslam.Independent reporting - 23Charlie Hatcher aims to bring ‘common sense’ to WashingtonWilliamson Herald · Aug. 5, 2026
Macy Joyce’s pre-primary interview: farmland, H-2A farm labor, the national debt, the U.S. Department of Education and his description of Ogles. Positions are attributed to Hatcher.Independent reporting - 24Molder and Hatcher discuss positions on renewable energy, nuclear power ahead of November electionTennessee Lookout · Sept. 14, 2026
Quotes both nominees on subsidies, nuclear power and waste, and describes the PAC that spent $2 million in the primary. The article does not say how the statements were obtained.Independent reporting - 25After defeating Ogles, GOP candidate Hatcher questions Trump’s beef tariffsWPLN News · Aug. 25, 2026
Marianna Bacallao’s report on Hatcher’s statement about the 90-day pause on beef tariffs; also names Molder as his November opponent.Independent reporting - 26Trump stumps for Andy Ogles’ reelection in tightening District 5 primary raceTennessee Lookout · July 29, 2026
Covers the tele-rally for Ogles, the PAC’s $688,348.55 July 16 ad buys, Ogles’ criticism of that money and the outlet’s clarification about the PAC’s donors.Independent reporting - 27Tennessee Gov. Lee endorses Hatcher over incumbent Ogles in GOP primaryWPLN News · Aug. 5, 2026
Quotes Governor Lee’s endorsement and reports the two men’s 25-year friendship. The article does not say where Lee made the statement.Independent reporting - 28Polling, Haslam endorsement signals close race for OglesWPLN News · July 20, 2026
Reports former Governor Bill Haslam’s backing and an internal Hatcher campaign poll. The poll’s dates, sample and numbers are not given.Independent reporting - 29Candidates bank on endorsements as primary draws nearTennessee Lookout · July 28, 2026
Sam Stockard’s column listing the endorsers on each side of the 5th District primary.Independent reporting - 30U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles’ campaign has less $100k heading into potential competitive electionTennessee Lookout · Apr. 17, 2026
Adam Friedman’s summary of first-quarter 2026 Federal Election Commission filings. Figures are the outlet’s rounded readings of those filings.Independent reporting
No matching sources. Try “House”, “election” or “campaign.”
Scope & method. Reviewed September 17, 2026. This is a documented overview of publicly available biography, major actions, and stated priorities, not an exhaustive record. Numerical claims retain their original meaning and attribution. Primary vote figures are unofficial totals as reported by news outlets; certified results and Federal Election Commission filings were not read for this review. Historical sources do not imply current appointments. The source list provides direct links so readers can check the underlying material. Election lists, filings, and campaign pages may change after this review.
Images. Conservative Ledger masthead supplied by the site creator. No photograph is published here: the Ledger uses only public-domain U.S. Government works or images under an explicit free licence, and none had been cleared for this profile at the time of review.
Where to find the candidate
Every link below was read from the campaign’s own website or the candidate’s official government page. A follower count is printed only where it was measured; otherwise the link is published and the number is left blank rather than guessed at.
Voting in Tennessee: official dates, deadlines and rules
The general election is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. The dates and rules below were read from the Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Elections; the authority's own page, linked beside each one, is the final word.
Dates and deadlines
- Voter registration deadlineMonday, October 5, 2026, for the November 3, 2026 State and Federal General Election. The Secretary of State's 2026 calendar prints this one date and does not give separate online, mail or in-person cut-offs. To register, use online voter registration, or download and complete the Voter Registration Application and mail it or deliver it by hand to your county election commission; applications can also be picked up in person at county election commission offices, county clerk's offices, public libraries and register of deeds offices. The Secretary of State's FAQ says a person who does not have an ID issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security cannot register online but can still register by filling out a paper form. Read from: sos.tn.gov/elections/calendar
- Early voting beginsWednesday, October 14, 2026. The Secretary of State's 2026 calendar gives the early voting period for the November 3, 2026 general election as Wednesday, October 14 – Thursday, October 29, 2026. Read from: sos.tn.gov/elections/calendar
- Early voting endsThursday, October 29, 2026, the last day of the early voting period (Wednesday, October 14 – Thursday, October 29, 2026) printed in the Secretary of State's 2026 calendar. Read from: sos.tn.gov/elections/calendar
- Deadline to request an absentee by-mail ballotSaturday, October 24, 2026. The Secretary of State's Guide to Absentee Voting says a registered voter may request an application for a by-mail ballot no earlier than ninety (90) days before the election and no later than ten (10) days before the election, and that, to be processed for the next election, the application must be received by the election commission no later than ten (10) days before the election. This is a received-by deadline for the request. The written request must be submitted, by mail or e-mail, to the local county election commission office by the tenth day before Election Day. Read from: sos.tn.gov/elections/calendar
- Deadline to return an absentee by-mail ballotElection Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2026: you must mail your ballot in time for your county election commission to receive it no later than the close of polls on Election Day. This is a received-by deadline, not a postmark deadline. You must return your ballot by mail (USPS, FedEx, UPS, etc.); hand delivery or handing it to a poll worker during early voting or on Election Day is not permitted. Read from: sos.tn.gov/elections/guides/guide-to-absentee-voting
- Polling place hours on Election DayElection Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. The Secretary of State's pages reviewed for this guide do not print a statewide opening or closing time. Its FAQ answers the question “When can I vote?” this way: find your early voting and Election Day polling place and hours in the GoVoteTN app. Its Election Day page likewise sends voters to the GoVoteTN lookup (Search by Voter or Search by Address) for their polling location and ballot information. Absentee by-mail ballots must be received no later than the close of polls on Election Day. Read from: sos.tn.gov/elections/faqs
Rules to know
- What to bringTennesseans voting early or on Election Day must bring valid photo identification with them to the polls. Any of the following IDs may be used, even if expired: a Tennessee driver license with your photo; a United States Passport; a photo ID issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security; a photo ID issued by the federal or Tennessee state government; a United States Military photo ID; or a Tennessee handgun carry permit with your photo. NOT acceptable: college student IDs; photo IDs not issued by the federal or Tennessee state government, including county or city issued photo IDs, such as library cards, and photo IDs issued by other states; and photo IDs issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security to non-U.S. citizens. First-time voters who registered by mail or Online Voter Registration and whose ID is expired must also present a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document that shows the voter's name and address. Exempt from the photo ID requirement: voters who vote absentee by mail; residents of a licensed nursing home or assisted living center who vote at the facility; voters who are hospitalized; voters with a religious objection to being photographed; and voters who are indigent and unable to obtain a photo ID without paying a fee. The Secretary of State's FAQ adds that a voter who does not bring a photo ID votes a provisional ballot and then has two (2) business days after Election Day to return to the election commission office to show a valid photo ID, and that a free photo ID to vote can be obtained from the Department of Safety and Homeland Security at any participating driver service center. Read from: sos.tn.gov/elections/voter-id-requirements
- Who may vote by mailTennessee requires a statutory reason to vote absentee by-mail. You can vote absentee by-mail if you fall under one of these categories: you are sixty (60) years of age or older; you will be outside the county where you are registered during the early voting period and all day on Election Day; you are hospitalized, ill or physically disabled and unable to appear at your polling place to vote; you are the caretaker of a person who is hospitalized, ill, or disabled (a physician's statement is not required for either of these two reasons); you or your spouse are a full-time student in an accredited college or university outside the county where you are registered; you reside in a nursing home, assisted living facility or home for the aged outside your county of residence; you are a candidate for office in the election; you are observing a religious holiday that prevents you from voting in person during the early voting period and on Election Day; you serve as an Election Day official or as a member or employee of the election commission; you will be unable to vote in-person due to jury duty; you have a disability and an inaccessible polling place; you or your spouse possess a valid commercial drivers license (CDL) or Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) card and you will be working outside the state or county of registration during the open hours of early voting and Election Day and have no specific out-of-county or out-of-state address to which mail may be sent or received during such time; you are a member of the military or are an overseas citizen; or you are on the permanent absentee list. To ask for a ballot, submit a written request by mail or e-mail to your local county election commission office by the tenth day before Election Day (Saturday, October 24, 2026); to be processed for the election, the application must be received by the election commission no later than ten (10) days before the election. The request must contain the voter's name, address of residence, social security number, date of birth, the address to mail the ballot, the election, the reason for voting absentee and the voter's signature, and, if applicable, a copy of the CDL containing the CDL number or the TWIC card; the absentee ballot request form helps make sure all required information is provided. An e-mailed request must be an attached document containing this information and your scanned signature. If information is missing, the county election commission returns the application so you can make corrections and resubmit it. The Secretary of State's FAQ adds that, unless you are on the permanent absentee voting register, enrolled in the Safe at Home program, or have previously voted in the county of registration, you must appear in-person to vote in the first election after you have registered by-mail or online. Read from: sos.tn.gov/elections/guides/guide-to-absentee-voting
- Early in-person votingNo reason is needed to vote early: the Secretary of State's guide says that, unlike by-mail voting, which requires a statutory reason, a person may vote during the early voting period purely for the sake of convenience. For the November 3, 2026 general election the early voting period is Wednesday, October 14 – Thursday, October 29, 2026. To vote early, a person must appear in person at either the county election commission office or at a satellite voting location opened by the county election commission. Early voting is closed on holidays, but a person may vote early on any Saturday that falls during the period. A voter can also change his or her address of registration and vote in the same voting location. For details regarding times and early voting locations, contact the local county election commission office; the guide also links to early voting locations and hours for each county. The Secretary of State's FAQ says Tennesseans voting early or on Election Day must bring valid photo identification with them to the polls. Read from: sos.tn.gov/elections/guides/how-to-early-vote-in-person
- Track your absentee ballotThe Secretary of State's Absentee By-Mail Ballot Status Tracker tool allows voters to track the status of their absentee by-mail ballot. It is part of the Tennessee Voter Registration Lookup and Absentee Ballot Status Tracker at tnmap.tn.gov/voterlookup. The Secretary of State says this lookup allows voters to review their registration information, track absentee ballots, see early voting and Election Day information, and find their polling place. Read from: sos.tn.gov/elections/faqs
- Felony convictionsThe Secretary of State's Restoration of Voting Rights guide says: if your felony conviction was on or before May 17, 1981, you only need to answer the appropriate question on the voter registration form and do not need to do anything else to get your voting rights restored; if your felony conviction was on or after May 18, 1981, you must get a court order to get your voting rights restored before you can register to vote. To get a court order you must meet all of the listed conditions, which include that you do not owe any restitution, that you do not owe court costs unless a court finds that you are indigent, and that you are current in all child support obligations. Voting rights cannot be restored after a conviction for any of the permanently disqualifying felonies that the guide lists by time period. Read from: sos.tn.gov/elections/guides/restoration-of-voting-rights
Read from: Key Dates for the 2026 Election Cycle · Elections · Guide to Absentee Voting · How to Early Vote - In Person · How to Register to Vote · Register to Vote Paper Form (Mail-in or hand-deliver) — Rules and dates as of Sep 17, 2026
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