**[Requirements for Serving as a Pollworker]{.underline}**

**[Tennessee]{.underline}**

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| **[State Registration Requirement]{.underline}**                      |
|                                                                       |
| **[(Exceptions may be found in Student Election Assistant             |
| category)]{.underline}**                                              |
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| Must be registered voter.                                             |
|                                                                       |
| *Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-4-103(a) (Thomson/West 2006).*                   |
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| **[Age Requirement]{.underline}**                                     |
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| 17 years of age to serve.                                             |
|                                                                       |
| *Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-4-103(e) (Thomson/West 2006).*                   |
|                                                                       |
| 18 years of age on or before the date of the next election to be      |
| registered voter.                                                     |
|                                                                       |
| *Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-2-104 (Thomson/West 2006).*                      |
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| **[Residency Place and Term Required for Voter                        |
| Registration]{.underline}**                                           |
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| Must be a resident of Tennessee.                                      |
|                                                                       |
| No durational residency requirement. 30-day registration requirement. |
|                                                                       |
| *Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-2-102; Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-2-103 (Thomson/West   |
| 2006).*                                                               |
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| **[Residency Requirement for Service (State, County or                |
| Precinct)]{.underline}**                                              |
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| State house legislative district or County, depending on poll worker  |
| roll and government organization.                                     |
|                                                                       |
| Officers of elections, judges, machine operators, precinct            |
| registrars, and assistant precinct registrars shall be registered     |
| voters and may serve at any polling place within the state house      |
| legislative district of which they are an inhabitant.                 |
|                                                                       |
| *Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-4-103(a) (Thomson/West 2006).*                   |
|                                                                       |
| Note: Pending S.B. 2132 would change 2-4-103(a) so the officer would  |
| have to serve in the county of such district in which the officer is  |
| an inhabitant.                                                        |
|                                                                       |
| Inspectors shall be registered voters at a polling place in the       |
| county and shall be inhabitants of the county.                        |
|                                                                       |
| *Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-4-103(b) (Thomson/West 2006).*                   |
|                                                                       |
| Counties \<600,000 population, the county election commission may     |
| appoint persons as precinct registrars who shall be registered voters |
| and inhabitants of the county.                                        |
|                                                                       |
| *Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-4-103(c) (Thomson/West 2006).*                   |
|                                                                       |
| Counties with metropolitan government: precinct registrars shall be   |
| registered voters at a polling place within each legislative district |
| and inspectors shall be registered voters at a polling place in the   |
| legislative district.                                                 |
|                                                                       |
| *Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-4-103(d) (Thomson/West 2006).*                   |
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| **[Affiliation with Political Party Requirement]{.underline}**        |
|                                                                       |
| **[and Process for Nomination as Poll Worker]{.underline}**           |
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| Affiliated Preferred.                                                 |
|                                                                       |
| 30 days before the appointment time, each county primary board shall, |
| and each county executive committee may, nominate persons for         |
| appointment as election officials. The county election commission     |
| shall appoint such nominees who are qualified, but where there are    |
| inadequate numbers of nominees, the county election commission may    |
| itself nominate qualified people.                                     |
|                                                                       |
| *Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-4-106 (Thomson/West 2006).*                      |
|                                                                       |
| If a statewide political party does not have a member on the county   |
| election commission, and there was not an election official appointed |
| from its nominees for each polling place, on request of the party\'s  |
| county primary board, the commission shall appoint from that party\'s |
| nominees 1 inspector for every 30,000 people in the county according  |
| to the current federal census, but no fewer than two inspectors and   |
| no more than ten.                                                     |
|                                                                       |
| *Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-4-102(b) (2) (Thomson/West 2006).*               |
|                                                                       |
| Between 45 and 10 days before the election, the county election       |
| commission shall appoint at least three judges, one officer of        |
| elections, and as many inspectors as necessary to each polling place. |
|                                                                       |
| *Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-4-102(a) & (b) (1) (Thomson/West 2006).*         |
|                                                                       |
| No more than two of the judges at a polling place may be of the same  |
| political party, if persons from different political parties are      |
| willing to serve. For primaries at least 1 judge shall be appointed   |
| from each party having a primary at the polling place for which the   |
| judges are being appointed.                                           |
|                                                                       |
| *Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-4-104 (Thomson/West 2006).*                      |
|                                                                       |
| As nearly as practicable, no more than 1/2 of the number of election  |
| officials at a polling place and no more than 1/2 of the whole number |
| of inspectors may be members of the same political party. If one      |
| political party elects to hold a primary election then only members   |
| of that political party who call the primary shall be appointed to    |
| serve at the polls as election officials.                             |
|                                                                       |
| *Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-4-105 (Thomson/West 2006).*                      |
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| **[Term Requirements]{.underline}**                                   |
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| No Information Available                                              |
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| **[Compensation and Hour Requirements]{.underline}**                  |
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| Officers of elections, judges, machine operators, and inspectors      |
| shall be paid for their services on election day a minimum of         |
| \$15.00.                                                              |
|                                                                       |
| *Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-4-109 (Thomson/West 2006).*                      |
|                                                                       |
| Amount can be increased by county legislative body.                   |
|                                                                       |
| *Beth Henry Robertson, Assistant Coordinator Elections Division,      |
| Tennessee Secretary of State, 2006.*                                  |
|                                                                       |
| The election officials of each polling place shall meet at the        |
| polling place at least one-half (1/2) hour before the time for        |
| opening the polls for the election.                                   |
|                                                                       |
| *Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-7-105(a) (Thomson/West 2006).*                   |
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| **[Training, Certification and Oath Requirements]{.underline}**       |
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| At least 30 days before each election, an instructional meeting shall |
| be held under the direction of the county election commission.        |
| Elections officials shall attend the meeting and shall receive, for   |
| the time spent in receiving such instructions and qualifying to serve |
| at an election by taking the oath, the sum of ten dollars which is to |
| be paid only if they serve in the election. The compensation may be   |
| increased by resolution of the county legislative body. The county    |
| election commission may limit attendance to only those persons who    |
| are inexperienced or otherwise need such training.                    |
|                                                                       |
| *Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-4-108. (Thomson/West 2006).*                     |
|                                                                       |
| No inspector may serve on election day who has not received the       |
| instruction provided under § 2-4-108.                                 |
|                                                                       |
| *Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-4-102(b) (4). (Thomson/West 2006).*              |
|                                                                       |
| Oath required.                                                        |
|                                                                       |
| *Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-1-111 (Thomson/West 2006).*                      |
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| **[Elected Public Officials Prohibited]{.underline}**                 |
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| Neither an elected official nor an employee of a state, county,       |
| municipal or federal governmental body or agency or of an elected     |
| official may serve as a member of a county election commission or as  |
| a member of a county primary board or as an election official.        |
|                                                                       |
| *Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-1-112(a) (Thomson/West 2006).*                   |
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| **[Candidates Prohibited]{.underline}**                               |
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| No candidate in an election may act in connection with that election  |
| as a member of any board or commission established under this title   |
| or as an election official.                                           |
|                                                                       |
| *Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-1-112(a) (Thomson/West 2006).*                   |
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| **[The Effect of Felon Status on Participation]{.underline}**         |
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| Anyone convicted of a felony, without having had voting rights        |
| restored, is prohibited during period of incarceration, probation,    |
| and parole.                                                           |
|                                                                       |
| *Beth Henry Robertson, Assistant Coordinator Elections Division,      |
| Tennessee Secretary of State, 2006.*                                  |
|                                                                       |
| Anyone convicted of infamous crimes by any state or federal court     |
| after July 1, 1986, but before July 1, 1996, is eligible to have full |
| rights of citizenship restored through a court of competent           |
| jurisdiction upon: Receiving a pardon, except where such pardon       |
| contains special conditions pertaining to the right to suffrage;      |
| Service or expiration of the maximum sentence imposed for any such    |
| infamous crime; or Being granted final release from incarceration or  |
| supervision by the board of probation and parole, or county           |
| correction authority. A person rendered infamous after July 1, 1986,  |
| by virtue of being convicted of one (1) of the following crimes shall |
| never be eligible to register and vote in this state: First degree    |
| murder, aggravated rape, and treason or voter fraud. May also be      |
| prohibited if given a pardon with conditions on voting.               |
|                                                                       |
| *Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-29-105(c)(2) (b); Tenn. Code Ann. §             |
| 40-29-105(b)(2) (Thomson/West 2006).*                                 |
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| **[The Effect of Mental Incapacitation on                             |
| Participation]{.underline}**                                          |
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| A person may be refused appointment if: incompetent to hold           |
| elections, failed to serve as directed in previous elections; or is   |
| unfit to serve in the election.                                       |
|                                                                       |
| *Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-4-106(d) (Thomson/West 2006).*                   |
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| **[English Fluency and Literacy Requirement]{.underline}**            |
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| A person may be refused appointment if: incompetent to hold           |
| elections, failed to serve as directed in previous elections; or is   |
| unfit to serve in the election.                                       |
|                                                                       |
| *Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-4-106(d) (Thomson/West 2006).*                   |
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| **[Good Reputation Requirement]{.underline}**                         |
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| A person may be refused appointment if: incompetent to hold           |
| elections, failed to serve as directed in previous elections; or is   |
| unfit to serve in the election.                                       |
|                                                                       |
| *Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-4-106(d) (Thomson/West 2006).*                   |
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| **[Alternative Positions with Different Requirements]{.underline}**   |
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| No Information Available                                              |
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| **[Student Election Assistant Statute]{.underline}**                  |
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| • 17 years of age                                                     |
|                                                                       |
| • meets all other requirements to serve                               |
|                                                                       |
| • Nothing in this section shall prohibit a high school student        |
| appointed as a poll official from receiving compensation in addition  |
| to having an excused absence.                                         |
|                                                                       |
| *Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-4-103(e) (Thomson/West 2006).*                   |
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