As the fate of the world, this nation, and our beloved state looms in midst of one of the most catastrophic pandemics in recent history, those responsible for elections in Tennessee are making one thing clear: they are willing to prioritize harmful state laws over the health and safety of Tennesseans.

“We meet regularly to discuss the options. I mean the one thing I can tell you is there will be an election on August 6th, and it will be conducted in accordance with Tennessee law.” - Linda Philips Shelby County Election Commission

As it stands, the Tennessee Code Annotated includes some of the most strict and arbitrary language for Vote By Mail with absolutely no rationale or data to support it. If you are at elevated risk for COVID-19 or if you are concerned about contracting and spreading the virus, you must know that Tennessee currently still denies you the right to Vote By Mail, despite this pandemic. If action is not taken, millions of Tennesseans will be forced to choose between their right to vote and their health and that of their family and community.

That is why The Memphis A. Philip Randolph Institute needs YOU to join us in signing our petition demanding that the Tennessee Secretary of State, Coordinator of Elections, and General Assembly take immediate actions in removing any and all barriers to voters requesting to Vote By Mail.

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The right for an absentee Vote By Mail ballot is currently restricted to only people in the following narrow categories:

The voter will be outside the county of registration during the early voting period and all day on election day;
The voter or the voter’s spouse is enrolled as a full-time student in an accredited college or university outside the county of registration;
The voter’s licensed physician has filed a statement with the county election commission stating that, in the physician's judgment, the voter is medically unable to vote in person. The statement must be filed not less than seven (7) days before the election and signed under the penalty of perjury;
The voter resides in a licensed facility providing relatively permanent domiciliary care, other than a penal institution, outside the voter's county of residence;
The voter will be unable to vote in person due to service as a juror for a federal or state court;
The voter is sixty (60) years of age or older;
The voter has a physical disability and an inaccessible polling place;
The voter is hospitalized, ill, or physically disabled and because of such condition, cannot vote in person;
The voter is a caretaker of a person who is hospitalized, ill, or disabled;
The voter is a candidate for office in the election;
The voter serves as an election day official or as a member or employee of the election commission;
The voter’s observance of a religious holiday prevents him or her from voting in person during the early voting period and on election day;
The voter or the voter’s spouse possesses a valid commercial drivers license (CDL) or the voter possesses a valid Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) card and certifies that he or she will be working outside the state or county of registration during the open hours of early voting and Election Day, and has no specific out-of-county or out-of-state address to which mail may be sent or received during such time.
The voter is a member of the military or is an overseas citizen.