The person behind the name
Matt Van Epps’s public career runs from ten years as an Army special-operations helicopter pilot, through a cabinet post in Governor Bill Lee’s administration, to the nationally watched special election that made him Tennessee’s newest congressman.
Neither his official House biography nor his campaign biography states a birth date or a birthplace; the campaign biography says he “has chosen to make Tennessee’s 7th District his home”, the Clerk of the House lists his hometown as Nashville, and the official biography says he lives there with his wife and child. GovTrack lists his age as 43. [1][54][3][5]
Education and professional preparation
His official biography reports a degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he was “a proud member of the Class of 9/11”, and a Master of Public Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It describes ten years on active duty as an Army aviator with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, in which he “flew and commanded missions in both the AH-64D Apache and the MH-47G Chinook” with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), and later service in the Tennessee Army National Guard to the rank of lieutenant colonel. On the House floor he spoke of “nine combat tours”, and in a 2026 statement of eight deployments to Afghanistan. Degree years, award citations and service records were not part of this review. [1][4][11]
A public life that began in state government
The Governor’s office records a series of roles in the Lee administration: assistant commissioner at the Department of Veterans Services, assistant director of procurement and contracts at the Department of Transportation, deputy chief operating officer in the Governor’s Office and strategic planner with the COVID-19 Unified Command Group. By the time of his cabinet appointment he was, in the Governor’s words, “a consultant and member of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission”, and had been senior vice president of operations at Main Street Health, “a start-up focused on improving value-based rural healthcare”; the Governor spoke of welcoming him “back to the State of Tennessee”. On September 16, 2024 Governor Lee named him Commissioner of the Department of General Services, effective October 1, succeeding Christi Branscom; he stepped down on June 10, 2025. [21][22]
He announced for Congress the same day, one day after Representative Mark Green said he would leave the seat. Green, Governor Lee and Representative Jim Jordan endorsed him; on the Friday before the October 7 special primary, after in-person early voting had ended, President Trump endorsed him, and state Representative Lee Reeves suspended his campaign in response. He won the eleven-candidate primary with 19,006 votes, 51.6 percent of 36,862 cast, and the December 2, 2025 special general election with 97,034 votes to 81,109 for state Representative Aftyn Behn, 53.9 percent. He took the oath of office on December 4, 2025. [61][59][60][24][23][4]
On May 1, 2026 Governor Lee called a special session “to formally review the state’s congressional map”; on May 7 the General Assembly passed House Bill 7003, which revises the boundaries of Tennessee’s congressional districts, 64–25 in the House and 25–5 in the Senate, and the Governor signed it the same day. The Seventh District that renominated him on August 6, 2026 was counted across eight counties, against fourteen in the 2025 special election; he was unopposed in the Republican primary, with 60,043 votes. In the November 3, 2026 general election he faces Darden Copeland, a Nashville public-affairs consultant who had finished second to Behn by 933 votes in the 2025 special Democratic primary and who won the 2026 Democratic primary with 16,646 votes, 39.8 percent of 41,800; two independents, Andrew Koontz and Lowell Reynolds, are also on the ballot. [64][65][26][24][27][25][57][62]
Life & public service
From West Point and Army special operations to a state cabinet post, a special election and a redrawn district, the documented milestones show how his record was built.
West Point and the 160th
A West Point graduate of “the Class of 9/11”, ten years on active duty as an aviator with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan; pilot-in-command and air mission commander with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment; afterwards a lieutenant colonel in the Tennessee Army National Guard, per his official biography. [1]
Roles in the Lee administration
Assistant commissioner at Veterans Services, assistant director of procurement and contracts at the Department of Transportation, deputy chief operating officer in the Governor’s Office and strategic planner with the COVID-19 Unified Command Group; then Main Street Health, consulting and the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, per the Governor’s office. [21]
First bills
Introduced the HONOR Gold Star Families Act on March 12, 2026 and the Major Non-NATO Ally Terror Threat Assessment Act on March 30; eight measures sponsored by September 16, 2026. [6]
Redistricting and the nomination
Governor Lee called a special session on May 1; House Bill 7003, revising the congressional district boundaries, passed 64–25 in the House and 25–5 in the Senate on May 7, 2026 and was signed the same day. On August 6, 2026 he was renominated without opposition, with 60,043 votes. [64][65][26]
An Afghanistan resolution
On August 27, 2026, marking the fifth anniversary of the withdrawal from Afghanistan, he introduced H.Res. 1497, commemorating the 13 service members killed at Abbey Gate; his office listed 40 cosponsors, and his statement that he “deployed to Afghanistan eight times”. [6][11]
Accomplishments, in the record
Roll calls, bill records, the member’s official pages and the state canvasses establish the following work. Outcomes are described at the level those records support, with shared credit where a measure was another member’s initiative.
Every roll call answered
GovTrack records that Van Epps missed none of the 364 roll-call votes held from December 2025 to September 2026, against a median of 2.1 percent among serving representatives. Voteview’s DW-NOMINATE score places him at 0.611 on the conservative–liberal dimension after 317 scored votes; of the 227 House Republicans in that file, 68 score further to the right, one shares his score and 158 score lower, a count made for this profile. [5][13]
Advocacy scorecards for his first year: Heritage Action 100 percent for the session and lifetime; the League of Conservation Voters 0 percent for 2025 and lifetime; SBA Pro-Life America A+; the NRA Political Victory Fund an A with its endorsement. The Club for Growth’s scorecard records no 2025 score for him, only two tracked votes, the SPEED Act and the INVEST Act, on which his position matched the Club’s. All of these cover a partial first year. [14][16][17][18][15]
A bill through the House by voice vote
H.R. 8168, the Major Non-NATO Ally Terror Threat Assessment Act, was introduced on March 30, 2026, ordered reported by the Committee on Homeland Security on June 24, reported on July 9 and passed the House by voice vote on July 13, 2026, with one cosponsor, a Democrat. It awaits the Senate. Of the eight measures he had sponsored by September 16, 2026, it is the only one to pass either chamber; none has become law. [7][6]
By its title the bill requires an assessment of the terrorism threat posed by foreign terrorist organizations present in countries designated major non-NATO allies; his office says it “strengthens coordination between the Department of Homeland Security and Congress to better assess and support MNNA partners as they confront terrorist threats within their own borders.” The requirement is a report to Congress. [7][8]
Amendments in the Fiscal Year 2027 defense bill
The Rules Committee’s amendment log for H.R. 8800 lists three Van Epps amendments made in order: one, with Representatives Comer and Barr, directing the Department of War to identify water and wastewater systems at military installations more than 60 years old and rank the most critical; one requiring a report on how quickly and at what cost key munitions could expand production to 150, 200 and 500 percent of current levels; and one requiring annual reports on how successful prototype projects transition into procurement. Two others he sponsored, on adversarial foreign capital in the defense supply chain and on codifying drone-industry executive orders, were submitted but not made in order. [10]
His office says four of his amendments were included and that “core provisions of my HONOR Gold Star Families Act made it into the FY27 NDAA”. The House-passed text bears that out in substance: section 632, “Increase in and cost-of-living adjustment of death gratuity”, strikes $100,000 from section 1478 of title 10 of the United States Code and inserts $165,000, and adds an annual adjustment tied to the Consumer Price Index from January 1, 2027, which is what his H.R. 7932 proposed. The section does not carry his name and the Rules Committee log lists no Van Epps amendment on it, so the route by which it entered the bill rests on the office’s account. The bill passed the House 216–212 on July 22, 2026, with his vote in favor. [9][67][68][10][44]
The Secure America Act
S. 2, a budget-reconciliation bill sponsored by Senator Lindsey Graham, appropriated, among other sums, $13,020,000,000 to Customs and Border Protection and $31,075,000,000 to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for immigration enforcement, $9,550,000,000 for Border Patrol personnel and $3,450,000,000 for border technology and screening, all available through September 30, 2029. The House passed it 214–212 on June 9, 2026; Van Epps voted Aye. It was signed on June 10, 2026 as Public Law 119-98. That is a recorded vote on a Senate bill, not authorship. [49][41][53]
Yea on the funding measures read for this review
He voted Yea on the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 (H.R. 7148), which passed 341–88 on January 22, 2026; on H.R. 9770, continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2027, which passed 220–205 on July 21, 2026; and on September 1, 2026 on concurring in the Senate amendments to H.R. 6500, 370–48, which GovTrack titles the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027 and the Clerk’s record lists under the bill’s original title, the AGOA Extension Act. [31][45][47][5]
Six votes against removing forces from hostilities with Iran
Between March and September 2026 the House voted six times on concurrent resolutions directing the President, under section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities with Iran. Van Epps voted Nay each time: H.Con.Res. 38 failed 212–219 on March 5; H.Con.Res. 40 failed 213–214 on April 16; H.Con.Res. 75 failed on a 212–212 tie on May 14; H.Con.Res. 86 passed 215–208 on June 3; H.Con.Res. 89 passed 214–208 on July 23; and H.Con.Res. 93 passed 220–204 on September 15. [32][33][34][35][36][37]
Permitting, federal unions and the farm bill
In his first full week he voted Yea on the PERMIT Act (H.R. 3898), which passed 221–205 on December 11, 2025, and Nay the same day on the Protect America’s Workforce Act (H.R. 2550), Representative Jared Golden’s bill to nullify the executive order on exclusions from federal labor-management relations programs, which passed 231–195 with 217 Democratic and nine Republican cosponsors. On December 18, 2025 he voted Yea on the SPEED Act (H.R. 4776), 221–196, a vote the Club for Growth tracks, and on April 30, 2026 Yea on the Farm, Food, and National Security Act (H.R. 7567), the House farm bill, which passed 224–200. [28][29][51][30][15][38][52]
No on Ukraine aid, yes on the FISA extension
He voted Nay on the Ukraine Support Act (H.R. 2913), Representative Gregory Meeks’s bill to authorize support for Ukraine, which passed 226–195 on June 4, 2026 with 42 Democratic and one Republican cosponsor. On the defense bill he voted No on Representative Eli Crane’s amendment to prohibit funds for Ukraine security assistance except embassy security, which failed 76–350, and No on Crane’s amendment to bar the Department from paying the costs of foreign military personnel in joint exercises, which failed 61–365. On April 30, 2026 he voted Yea on S. 4465, extending the title VII authorities of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which passed 261–111 under suspension of the rules. [40][50][43][42][39]
Insider trading and an impeachment motion
He voted Yea on the Stop Insider Trading Act (H.R. 7008), which passed 232–198 on July 22, 2026, and on September 15, 2026 Yea on the motion to table H.Res. 1486, a resolution impeaching President Trump, which was tabled 232–147 with 47 members voting present. [46][48]
Family & community
His official biography says he lives in Nashville with his wife and child; the Governor’s office and his campaign biography describe the child as a daughter. This profile records those statements as made and goes no further. [1][22][54]
The campaign biography says he “founded a veteran-owned firm focused on national security and conservative policy initiatives”, developed the Governor’s Veteran Fellowship Program and enjoys “being an active member of his local community and church”; the Governor’s office listed him as a member of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission before his cabinet appointment. In Congress he sits on Homeland Security and on Science, Space, and Technology; his official page lists no caucus memberships. [54][21][2]
The campaign’s issues page calls him “a father and a man of faith”, and in his first remarks on the House floor he introduced himself as a Christian; neither his official nor his campaign biography names a denomination, and this profile makes no claim beyond those statements. The sources reviewed document family, residence and public roles as he states them; they do not supply a verified record of charitable board service, and none is asserted. [55][4]
Mission & priorities
“Matt’s priority is simple: put Tennessee families, workers, and small businesses first.” {55}
The following summarizes the issues page on Van Epps’s campaign website, read against the votes and bills that bear on each item. These are stated positions, not completed accomplishments. [55]
01Strengthening the economy
The campaign blames “Bidenflation and the far left’s outrageous spending” for household costs and promises to “cut waste, rein in Washington’s reckless spending, and fight for the hardworking families who fuel our economy”; it adds that “It’s also critical that we pass responsible legislation to regulate and unleash innovation in Crypto and artificial intelligence”. The record shows Yea votes on the permitting bills of December 2025 and on the three government-funding measures of 2026 read for this review; no cryptocurrency or artificial-intelligence bill of his own appears among the eight measures he has sponsored. [55][28][30][31][45][47][6]
02Supporting veterans
“In Congress, Matt will be a relentless voice for veterans.” The record shows the HONOR Gold Star Families Act (H.R. 7932, introduced March 12, 2026, with 23 cosponsors), whose death-gratuity increase to $165,000 appears as section 632 of the House-passed defense bill, and the Guard Equal Benefits for Federal Missions Act (H.R. 8281, April 14, 2026); neither has moved on its own. [55][6][68][67][9]
03Keeping the borders secure
“Matt will work with President Trump to keep our borders secure by finishing the wall, empowering Border Patrol, and ending the woke left’s open-border agenda.” The record shows his Aye on the Secure America Act, the reconciliation bill that appropriated $13,020,000,000 to Customs and Border Protection and $31,075,000,000 to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for immigration enforcement, passed 214–212 on June 9, 2026. [55][41][49]
04Farmers and rural communities
The campaign promises to protect farmers from “overregulation, foreign land grabs, and attacks from the far left” and says “He will also push to expand rural healthcare, ensuring every Tennessean — no matter their ZIP code — has access to quality care.” The record shows his Yea on the House farm bill, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act, on April 30, 2026. [55][38]
05Women’s sports and minors
“He is firmly against allowing biological men to compete in women’s athletics”, the campaign says, and he “will back a ban on taxpayer-funded gender surgeries”. No roll call on either question fell among the 24 read for this review. [55]
06The Second Amendment
07Life
08Israel and Iran
“Matt will stand firm against Iran’s aggression, fight antisemitism, and ensure Israel has what it needs to defend itself.” The record shows six Nay votes in 2026 on resolutions to remove United States forces from hostilities with Iran, three of which passed the House. [55][32][35][37]
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 legislative and voting history above.
The fuller record
A useful profile includes the limits of a claim, the money behind a race and the candidate’s answers to material criticism. The items below are drawn from primary documents and independent reporting, with Van Epps’s response where one is on record.
A closer race than the district’s recent margins
The Secretary of State’s canvass for November 5, 2024 records Mark Green’s re-election with 191,992 votes to 122,764 for Megan Barry, 59.5 percent to 38.0 percent as computed from the canvass; the Associated Press put the margin at 21 percentage points and reported that President Trump had won the district by a similar margin. Van Epps won the December 2, 2025 special election by 97,034 votes to 81,109, 53.9 percent to 45.1 percent. The AP wrote that “Republicans entered Election Day hoping to scuttle Democratic claims that even red districts are now in play”; the result kept the seat and narrowed the margin. Van Epps’s statement on primary night was that his campaign had “won in a landslide”; the general-election margin was 8.8 points. [63][58][23][59]
The money behind the special election
The AP reported more than $1 million in spending by MAGA Inc., the first time that super PAC had spent on a campaign since the 2024 presidential race, and $1 million from the House Majority PAC for Behn; CBS News and the AP put outside spending on the primary race above $3.1 million, almost all of it on the Republican side and about $1.1 million of it against state Representative Jody Barrett. Club for Growth PAC said afterwards that “Club for Growth Action and its affiliated School Freedom Fund invested over $1.3 million into the race”. His own committee reported $2,300,690 in receipts from April 1, 2025 to July 17, 2026, of which $582,300 came from other committees, with $2,092,736 in disbursements, $207,954 in cash and $60,000 in debts owed. [58][59][19][20]
The late endorsement and the consolidated primary
President Trump’s endorsement came on the Friday before the October 7, 2025 primary, after in-person early voting had ended; the Nashville Banner reported that “Multiple Republican campaigns said they had not expected Trump to make an endorsement because the open primary was too close to call.” State Representative Lee Reeves suspended his campaign — “Today, the President called a play I did not expect.” — but remained on the ballot and drew 1,929 votes; CBS News and the AP counted two candidates who suspended their campaigns after the endorsement. Governor Lee, Green and Representative Jim Jordan had endorsed Van Epps earlier. The endorsement is documented; how the eleven-way race would have ended without it is not knowable from the record. For 2026 the campaign’s home page carries the President’s statement endorsing his re-election, undated on the page and linked to a Truth Social post that this review could not retrieve, in which he says he “strongly campaigned with Matt to defeat the Radical Left in his 2025 Special Election”. [60][59][24][56]
“MAGA Matt”: the opponent’s case and the record
Darden Copeland told the Nashville Banner in June 2026 that Van Epps “will never be his own man, and that’s the problem, and that’s why I’m running”, accusing him of doing the bidding of Republican leadership, President Trump and Speaker Johnson. Van Epps has said as much himself: he told the President during a November 2025 tele-rally, “I will have your back 100%”, and on the House floor he pledged to work “every day with President Trump” on the America First agenda. The record shows a Heritage Action score of 100 percent, Yea votes on each of the three funding measures read for this review, and no missed votes; it also shows a homeland-security bill passed with a Democratic cosponsor and a critical-materials bill introduced with Representative Betty McCollum. [62][58][4][14][31][45][47][5][7][12]
A district redrawn beneath the incumbent
On May 1, 2026 Governor Lee called a special session “to formally review the state’s congressional map”; on May 7 the General Assembly passed House Bill 7003, which “revises the boundaries for Tennessee’s congressional districts”, 64–25 in the House and 25–5 in the Senate, and the Governor signed it the same day. The 2025 special election was counted across fourteen counties and the 2026 primary across eight: Sumner, Macon and Trousdale were added and nine counties, Williamson among them, dropped. The Nashville Banner described the change as going “from 13 Middle Tennessee counties to eight, picking up large suburbs including in Sumner County, while also losing parts of North Nashville”, and reported that “Around 40 percent of qualified voters in District 7 will be new to the district this year.” The Banner wrote that the redistricting “primarily targeted Black and Democratic voters in Memphis”, and WPLN reported that the new map “fractures Memphis into three different districts”; those are the outlets’ characterizations. Van Epps was renominated without opposition; two independents, Andrew Koontz and Lowell Reynolds, will also be on the November ballot. [64][65][24][26][62][66]
Questions & answers
Who is Matt Van Epps?
Matt Van Epps’s public career runs from ten years as an Army special-operations helicopter pilot, through a cabinet post in Governor Bill Lee’s administration, to the nationally watched special election that made him Tennessee’s newest congressman. Neither his official House biography nor his campaign biography states a birth date or a birthplace; the campaign biography says he “has chosen to make Tennessee’s 7th District his home”, the Clerk of the House lists his hometown as Nashville, and the official biography says he lives there with his wife and child. GovTrack lists his age as 43. [1][54][3][5]
What office is Matt Van Epps running for in 2026?
Who is Matt Van Epps running against?
On May 1, 2026 Governor Lee called a special session “to formally review the state’s congressional map”; on May 7 the General Assembly passed House Bill 7003, which revises the boundaries of Tennessee’s congressional districts, 64–25 in the House and 25–5 in the Senate, and the Governor signed it the same day. The Seventh District that renominated him on August 6, 2026 was counted across eight counties, against fourteen in the 2025 special election; he was unopposed in the Republican primary, with 60,043 votes. In the November 3, 2026 general election he faces Darden Copeland, a Nashville public-affairs consultant who had finished second to Behn by 933 votes in the 2025 special Democratic primary and who won the 2026 Democratic primary with 16,646 votes, 39.8 percent of 41,800; two independents, Andrew Koontz and Lowell Reynolds, are also on the ballot. [64][65][26][24][27][25][57][62]
What are Matt Van Epps's stated priorities?
The following summarizes the issues page on Van Epps’s campaign website, read against the votes and bills that bear on each item. These are stated positions, not completed accomplishments. [55] The campaign lists: Strengthening the economy; Supporting veterans; Keeping the borders secure; Farmers and rural communities; Women’s sports and minors; The Second Amendment; Life; Israel and Iran.
What does the public record show?
Roll calls, bill records, the member’s official pages and the state canvasses establish the following work. Outcomes are described at the level those records support, with shared credit where a measure was another member’s initiative. GovTrack records that Van Epps missed none of the 364 roll-call votes held from December 2025 to September 2026, against a median of 2.1 percent among serving representatives. Voteview’s DW-NOMINATE score places him at 0.611 on the conservative–liberal dimension after 317 scored votes; of the 227 House Republicans in that file, 68 score further to the right, one shares his score and 158 score lower, a count made for this profile. [5][13]
How was this profile researched?
Reviewed September 17, 2026. This is a documented overview of publicly available biography, major actions and stated priorities, not an exhaustive vote-by-vote record; 24 House roll calls were read for it and the defining ones are cited. Numerical claims retain their original meaning and attribution; percentages of the vote and the 2025 primary total were computed from the Secretary of State’s canvasses; the Voteview comparison was computed from its member file; historical sources do not imply current positions. Degree years, military award citations and service records, court dockets, and personal financial disclosures were not part of this review; no official source reviewed states a birth date. Ballotpedia, Congress.gov, the Biographical Directory of Congress, OpenSecrets, the Tennessee Lookout, the Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball declined automated retrieval, the Congress.gov API was rate-limited, Truth Social posts could not be read, and the Tennessee Secretary of State’s servers returned access errors, so the state’s result documents are cited from Internet Archive copies and no race rating is asserted. Filings and campaign pages may change after this review.
Sources & methodology
Government records anchor the profile: the Clerk’s roll calls and member record, the Congressional Record, the House-passed text of the defense bill, the Tennessee Secretary of State’s canvasses (cited from Internet Archive copies because the state’s servers refused automated requests), the Governor’s office releases, the General Assembly’s bill record, the Federal Election Commission’s candidate record and the member’s official pages; independent analyses (GovTrack, Voteview) and advocacy ratings (Heritage Action, the League of Conservation Voters, SBA Pro-Life America, the NRA Political Victory Fund, the Club for Growth) are labeled as such; reporting supplies responses and scrutiny; campaign materials are used for the candidate’s and his opponent’s own statements.
- 01About | Congressman Matt Van Epps (official House biography)vanepps.house.gov · Accessed September 17, 2026
Official biography: West Point, ten years on active duty as an Army aviator, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, the Tennessee Army National Guard, the Lee administration posts, the UNC Chapel Hill degree, residence in Nashville with wife and child.Government record - 02Committees and Caucuses | Congressman Matt Van Eppsvanepps.house.gov · Accessed September 17, 2026
Committee on Homeland Security (Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security) and Committee on Science, Space, and Technology; no caucus memberships listed.Government record - 03Member profile: Matt Van Epps, Tennessee 7th (V000139)Clerk of the U.S. House · Accessed September 17, 2026
Oath of office December 4, 2025; hometown Nashville; committee and subcommittee assignments as the Clerk records them.Government record - 04Congressional Record, December 4, 2025, page H5030: swearing in of the Honorable Matt Van EppsU.S. Government Publishing Office (govinfo) · December 4, 2025
Representative Cohen’s unanimous-consent request because the certificate of election had not arrived; the oath; the welcome by the Tennessee delegation; Van Epps’s first floor remarks, including “nine combat tours” and his pledge to work with President Trump.Government record - 05Rep. Matt Van Epps — member page and missed-votes recordGovTrack.us · Accessed September 17, 2026
Service since December 4, 2025; age 43; committee list; 0 of 364 roll calls missed from December 2025 to September 2026 against a 2.1 percent median; key votes including H.R. 6500 on September 1, 2026.Independent analysis or rating - 06Bills sponsored by Matt Van Epps, 119th Congress (8 records)GovTrack.us (API) · Accessed September 17, 2026
Eight sponsored measures from March 12 to September 16, 2026, with status: H.R. 8168 passed the House July 13, 2026; the rest introduced only. Read through the GovTrack API; the member page shows the same list.Independent analysis or rating - 07H.R. 8168 (119th): Major Non-NATO Ally Terror Threat Assessment ActGovTrack.us · Accessed September 17, 2026
Introduced March 30, 2026; ordered reported June 24; reported by Homeland Security July 9; passed the House by voice vote July 13, 2026; one cosponsor, a Democrat; purpose as titled.Independent analysis or rating - 08House Passes Rep. Van Epps’ Major Non-NATO Ally Terror Threat Assessment Act (press release)Office of Rep. Matt Van Epps · July 13, 2026
The member’s statement on passage and his floor remarks; the bill’s reporting requirement in his words.Government record - 09Rep. Van Epps Secures Major Legislative Victories in FY27 NDAA (press release)Office of Rep. Matt Van Epps · July 22, 2026
The office’s account of four amendments included in the House defense bill, including the HONOR Gold Star Families Act provisions raising the death gratuity from $100,000 to $165,000; the member’s own claims.Government record - 10H.R. 8800 — National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027: amendment logHouse Committee on Rules · Accessed September 17, 2026
Van Epps amendments 639, 641 and 645 made in order; 633 and 658 submitted; cosponsored amendments 281 and 535; the texts of each as summarized by the committee.Government record - 11Rep. Van Epps’ Resolution on Fifth Anniversary of Afghanistan Withdrawal (press release)Office of Rep. Matt Van Epps · August 27, 2026
His statement that he deployed to Afghanistan eight times with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment; the resolution and its 40 cosponsors.Government record - 12Press Releases | Congressman Matt Van Eppsvanepps.house.gov · Accessed September 17, 2026
The SHIELD For Victims Act (September 16, 2026) and the bipartisan Critical Materials Future Act with Representative Betty McCollum (September 15, 2026), among the office’s releases.Government record - 13DW-NOMINATE member data, 119th House (H119_members.csv)Voteview (UCLA) · Accessed September 17, 2026
First-dimension score 0.611 on 317 scored votes. The count of the 227 House Republicans in the file scoring above (68), level with (one) and below (158) him was made from it for this profile.Independent analysis or rating - 14Scorecard: Rep. Matt Van Epps, 119th CongressHeritage Action for America · Accessed September 17, 2026
Session score 100 percent, lifetime 100 percent.Independent analysis or rating - 15Congressional Scorecard — Matt Van Epps (TN-07)Club for Growth (scorecard) · Accessed September 17, 2026
No 2025 score or lifetime score recorded; two tracked votes, the SPEED Act (H.R. 4776) and the INVEST Act (H.R. 3383), with his position matching the Club’s on both.Independent analysis or rating - 16National Environmental Scorecard: Matt Van EppsLeague of Conservation Voters · Accessed September 17, 2026
2025 score 0 percent; lifetime 0 percent; the roll calls scored.Independent analysis or rating - 17House ScorecardSBA Pro-Life America · Accessed September 17, 2026
Van Epps (TN-07) graded A+.Independent analysis or rating - 18Grades & Endorsements — Tennessee 2026NRA Political Victory Fund · Accessed September 17, 2026
U.S. House, 7th District: Matt Van Epps (R), incumbent, grade A, marked NRA endorsed; Darden Copeland (D) shown with the “?” rating, which the fund defines as a candidate who refused its questionnaire or whose statements it found inconsistent.Independent analysis or rating - 19Club for Growth PAC Congratulates Matt Van Epps on TN-07 VictoryClub for Growth PAC (press release) · December 3, 2025
The PAC’s statement that Club for Growth Action and the School Freedom Fund invested over $1.3 million in the special election, and its description of its advertising. An advocacy group’s own account.Independent analysis or rating - 20VAN EPPS, MATTHEW ROBERT — candidate overview, H6TN07161Federal Election Commission · Coverage through July 17, 2026; accessed September 17, 2026
Principal committee Matt Van Epps for Congress; receipts $2,300,690.32, individual contributions $1,665,149.83, other-committee contributions $582,300.00, disbursements $2,092,736.19, cash $207,954.13, debts $60,000.00; leadership PAC Keeping Freedom Alive PAC; statement of candidacy filed February 24, 2026.Government record - 21Gov. Lee Announces Key Leadership Transition at TN Department of General ServicesOffice of Governor Bill Lee (tn.gov) · September 16, 2024
Appointment as commissioner effective October 1, 2024, succeeding Christi Branscom; his prior state posts, Main Street Health, consulting and the Tennessee Higher Education Commission; residence in Nashville with wife and daughter.Government record - 22Gov. Lee Announces Key Leadership Transition at Tennessee Department of General ServicesOffice of Governor Bill Lee (tn.gov) · June 11, 2025
The Governor’s statement that Van Epps stepped down on June 10 to pursue a new venture; Jeff Holmes named interim commissioner; the Governor’s summary of his tenure.Government record - 23December 2, 2025 State General — Results by Office (Internet Archive copy) (Internet Archive copy, captured 2026)Tennessee Secretary of State · Dated December 5, 2025
U.S. House District 7 (unexpired term): Van Epps 97,034; Behn 81,109; four independents 1,869 combined; total 180,012. Percentages computed for this profile.Government record - 24October 7, 2025 Republican Primary — Results by County (Internet Archive copy) (Internet Archive copy, captured 2026)Tennessee Secretary of State · Dated October 17, 2025
Eleven candidates across fourteen counties: Van Epps 19,006; Barrett 9,337; Bulso 4,005; Reeves 1,929; Foley 1,022; Parks 595; Knight 381; Cooper 239; Wittum 133; Leurs 122; Dagan 93; total 36,862.Government record - 25October 7, 2025 Democratic Primary — Results by County (Internet Archive copy) (Internet Archive copy, captured 2026)Tennessee Secretary of State · Dated October 17, 2025
Behn 8,653; Copeland 7,720; Mitchell 7,498; Dixie 7,153; total 31,024.Government record - 26August 6, 2026 Republican Primary — Results by County (Internet Archive copy) (Internet Archive copy, captured 2026)Tennessee Secretary of State · Dated September 3, 2026
U.S. House District 7: Matt Van Epps, sole candidate, 60,043 votes across Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Macon, Montgomery, Robertson, Sumner and Trousdale counties.Government record - 27August 6, 2026 Democratic Primary — Results by County (Internet Archive copy) (Internet Archive copy, captured 2026)Tennessee Secretary of State · Dated September 3, 2026
U.S. House District 7: Copeland 16,646; Dixie 11,387; Holloway 9,985; Sales 3,745; write-in 37; total 41,800.Government record - 28Roll call 330, December 11, 2025 — PERMIT Act (H.R. 3898), passageClerk of the U.S. House · December 11, 2025
Van Epps recorded Yea; passed 221–205.Government record - 29Roll call 332, December 11, 2025 — Protect America’s Workforce Act (H.R. 2550), passageClerk of the U.S. House · December 11, 2025
Van Epps recorded Nay; passed 231–195.Government record - 30Roll call 356, December 18, 2025 — SPEED Act (H.R. 4776), passageClerk of the U.S. House · December 18, 2025
Van Epps recorded Yea; passed 221–196.Government record - 31Roll call 45, January 22, 2026 — Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 (H.R. 7148), passageClerk of the U.S. House · January 22, 2026
Van Epps recorded Yea; passed 341–88.Government record - 32Roll call 85, March 5, 2026 — H.Con.Res. 38, removing forces from hostilities in IranClerk of the U.S. House · March 5, 2026
Van Epps recorded Nay; failed 212–219.Government record - 33Roll call 114, April 16, 2026 — H.Con.Res. 40, removing forces from hostilities with IranClerk of the U.S. House · April 16, 2026
Van Epps recorded Nay; failed 213–214 with one present.Government record - 34Roll call 170, May 14, 2026 — H.Con.Res. 75, removing forces from hostilities against IranClerk of the U.S. House · May 14, 2026
Van Epps recorded Nay; failed on a 212–212 tie.Government record - 35Roll call 199, June 3, 2026 — H.Con.Res. 86, removing forces from hostilities with IranClerk of the U.S. House · June 3, 2026
Van Epps recorded Nay; passed 215–208.Government record - 36Roll call 282, July 23, 2026 — H.Con.Res. 89, removing forces from hostilities with IranClerk of the U.S. House · July 23, 2026
Van Epps recorded Nay; passed 214–208.Government record - 37Roll call 307, September 15, 2026 — H.Con.Res. 93, removing forces from hostilities with IranClerk of the U.S. House · September 15, 2026
Van Epps recorded Nay; passed 220–204.Government record - 38Roll call 154, April 30, 2026 — Farm, Food, and National Security Act (H.R. 7567), passageClerk of the U.S. House · April 30, 2026
Van Epps recorded Yea; passed 224–200.Government record - 39Roll call 155, April 30, 2026 — S. 4465, extending title VII of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, suspensionClerk of the U.S. House · April 30, 2026
Van Epps recorded Yea; passed 261–111.Government record - 40Roll call 207, June 4, 2026 — Ukraine Support Act (H.R. 2913), passageClerk of the U.S. House · June 4, 2026
Van Epps recorded Nay; passed 226–195.Government record - 41Roll call 214, June 9, 2026 — Secure America Act (S. 2), passageClerk of the U.S. House · June 9, 2026
Van Epps recorded Aye; passed 214–212.Government record - 42House vote 263, July 21, 2026 — H.Amdt. 251 (Crane) to H.R. 8800, foreign military personnel in joint exercisesGovTrack.us · July 21, 2026
The amendment’s text as GovTrack titles it; failed 61–365; Van Epps recorded No.Independent analysis or rating - 43House vote 264, July 21, 2026 — H.Amdt. 252 (Crane) to H.R. 8800, prohibiting funds for Ukraine security assistanceGovTrack.us · July 21, 2026
Failed 76–350; Van Epps recorded No.Independent analysis or rating - 44Roll call 278, July 22, 2026 — National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027 (H.R. 8800), passageClerk of the U.S. House · July 22, 2026
Van Epps recorded Yea; passed 216–212.Government record - 45Roll call 272, July 21, 2026 — continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2027 (H.R. 9770), passageClerk of the U.S. House · July 21, 2026
Van Epps recorded Yea; passed 220–205.Government record - 46Roll call 280, July 22, 2026 — Stop Insider Trading Act (H.R. 7008), passageClerk of the U.S. House · July 22, 2026
Van Epps recorded Yea; passed 232–198.Government record - 47Roll call 286, September 1, 2026 — H.R. 6500, motion to concur in the Senate amendmentsClerk of the U.S. House · September 1, 2026
Van Epps recorded Yea; passed 370–48. The Clerk lists the bill under its original title, the AGOA Extension Act.Government record - 48Roll call 298, September 15, 2026 — motion to table H.Res. 1486, impeaching the PresidentClerk of the U.S. House · September 15, 2026
Van Epps recorded Yea on the motion to table; agreed to 232–147 with 47 voting present.Government record - 49S. 2, Secure America Act — enrolled bill (Public Law 119-98)U.S. Government Publishing Office (govinfo) · Enrolled June 2026
Reconciliation appropriations: $9,550,000,000 for Border Patrol personnel, $3,450,000,000 for border technology, $13,020,000,000 to Customs and Border Protection and $31,075,000,000 to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for immigration enforcement, available through September 30, 2029.Government record - 50H.R. 2913 (119th): Ukraine Support ActGovTrack.us · Accessed September 17, 2026
Sponsor Gregory Meeks; “To authorize support for Ukraine”; passed the House June 4, 2026; 43 cosponsors, 42 Democrats and one Republican.Independent analysis or rating - 51H.R. 2550 (119th): Protect America’s Workforce ActGovTrack.us · Accessed September 17, 2026
Sponsor Jared Golden; to nullify the executive order on exclusions from federal labor-management relations programs; passed the House December 11, 2025; 226 cosponsors, 217 Democrats and nine Republicans.Independent analysis or rating - 52H.R. 7567 (119th): Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026GovTrack.us · Accessed September 17, 2026
Sponsor Glenn Thompson; the reauthorization of Department of Agriculture programs through fiscal year 2031; passed the House April 30, 2026.Independent analysis or rating - 53S. 2 (119th): Secure America ActGovTrack.us · Accessed September 17, 2026
Sponsor Lindsey Graham; a reconciliation bill under S.Con.Res. 33; passed the Senate June 5 and the House June 9, 2026; signed June 10, 2026 as Public Law 119-98.Independent analysis or rating - 54Meet Matt | Matt Van Epps for CongressMatt Van Epps for Congress (campaign) · Accessed September 17, 2026
Campaign biography: West Point, the Guard, Army special operations, the commissioner post, the Governor’s Veteran Fellowship Program, a veteran-owned firm, residence with wife and daughter, church membership. Self-descriptions.Campaign or advocacy material - 55Issues | Matt Van Epps for CongressMatt Van Epps for Congress (campaign) · Accessed September 17, 2026
The nine campaign planks quoted in this profile. Proposals, not record.Campaign or advocacy material - 56Matt Van Epps for Congress (home page)Matt Van Epps for Congress (campaign) · Accessed September 17, 2026
President Trump’s statement endorsing his re-election, reproduced by the campaign without a date and linked to a Truth Social post; links to the campaign’s X and Facebook accounts.Campaign or advocacy material - 57Darden Copeland for Congress (campaign home page)Darden Copeland for Congress (campaign) · Accessed September 17, 2026
The Democratic nominee’s biography in his own words: University of Richmond, campaign work, the Calvert Street Group public-affairs firm, residence in Nashville.Campaign or advocacy material - 58Republican Matt Van Epps wins House special election in TennesseeAssociated Press (Jonathan Mattise), via PBS News · December 2, 2025
The result; more than $1 million from MAGA Inc. and $1 million from the House Majority PAC; Green’s 21-point re-election in 2024; the 2022 redraw; his tele-rally pledge to the President.Independent reporting - 59Trump-backed Matt Van Epps wins GOP primary in Tennessee House raceCBS News, with the Associated Press · October 7, 2025
The endorsement after in-person early voting ended; earlier endorsements from Lee, Green and Jordan; $3.1 million in outside spending, about $1.1 million against Barrett; Van Epps’s “landslide” statement; Green’s 2022 and 2024 margins.Independent reporting - 60Donald Trump backs Matt Van Epps; another GOP contender drops outNashville Banner (Sarah Grace Taylor) · October 4, 2025
The Friday endorsement, Trump’s words, Governor Lee’s endorsement the same week, Reeves’s withdrawal statement, and campaigns’ surprise.Independent reporting - 61Matt Van Epps Launches Bid for Green’s Congressional SeatNashville Banner (Sarah Grace Taylor) · June 11, 2025
The announcement one day after Green said he would retire; the resignation “to focus on his campaign”; his statement on Green.Independent reporting - 62Redistricting reshapes District 7 Democratic primaryNashville Banner (Sarah Grace Taylor) · June 25, 2026
The May 2026 special session; the district’s new shape and the share of new voters; the Democratic field; Copeland’s “MAGA Matt” attack; the two independents.Independent reporting - 63November 5, 2024 State General — Results by Office (Internet Archive copy) (Internet Archive copy, captured Aug 13, 2026)Tennessee Secretary of State · Dated December 2, 2024
U.S. House District 7: Mark E. Green 191,992; Megan Barry 122,764; Shaun Greene 7,900; total 322,656. Percentages computed for this profile.Government record - 64Gov. Lee Calls Special Legislative Session to Review Congressional MapOffice of Governor Bill Lee (tn.gov) · May 1, 2026
The Governor’s announcement of a special session of the General Assembly, beginning May 5, 2026, to review the state’s congressional map.Government record - 65HB 7003 / SB 7004, 114th General Assembly, Extraordinary Session II — bill informationTennessee General Assembly · Accessed September 17, 2026
The bill revising the boundaries of Tennessee’s congressional districts: passed the House 64–25 with three present and not voting, and the Senate 25–5, on May 7, 2026; signed by the Governor the same day; assigned Public Chapter 3 on June 3, 2026.Government record - 66Trump endorses state Sen. Taylor in Memphis’ redistricted congressional raceWPLN News, Nashville Public Radio (Marianna Bacallao) · July 13, 2026
Reports that Republican legislators redrew the congressional map in the spring at the President’s urging and that the new map splits Memphis among three districts.Independent reporting - 67H.R. 8800, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027 — text as engrossed in the HouseU.S. Government Publishing Office (govinfo) · Passed the House July 22, 2026
Section 632 (increase in and cost-of-living adjustment of death gratuity) strikes $100,000 from section 1478 of title 10 and inserts $165,000, with an annual Consumer Price Index adjustment from January 1, 2027.Government record - 68H.R. 7932 (119th): HONOR Gold Star Families ActGovTrack.us · Accessed September 17, 2026
The bill to increase the military death gratuity and index it to the cost of living; introduced March 12, 2026 by Van Epps; 23 cosponsors, 20 Republicans and three Democrats; no further action.Independent analysis or rating
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Scope & method. Reviewed September 17, 2026. This is a documented overview of publicly available biography, major actions and stated priorities, not an exhaustive vote-by-vote record; 24 House roll calls were read for it and the defining ones are cited. Numerical claims retain their original meaning and attribution; percentages of the vote and the 2025 primary total were computed from the Secretary of State’s canvasses; the Voteview comparison was computed from its member file; historical sources do not imply current positions. Degree years, military award citations and service records, court dockets, and personal financial disclosures were not part of this review; no official source reviewed states a birth date. Ballotpedia, Congress.gov, the Biographical Directory of Congress, OpenSecrets, the Tennessee Lookout, the Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball declined automated retrieval, the Congress.gov API was rate-limited, Truth Social posts could not be read, and the Tennessee Secretary of State’s servers returned access errors, so the state’s result documents are cited from Internet Archive copies and no race rating is asserted. Filings and campaign pages may change after this review.
Images. The candidate portrait is the official portrait published by the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, a work of the United States Government and therefore in the public domain. No campaign-owned or otherwise copyrighted photograph is used. Inclusion does not imply campaign authorization or endorsement of this publication.
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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