2023 Tennessee Code › Title 2 - ELECTIONS (§§ 2-1-101 — 2-20-109) › Chapter 5 - BALLOTS AND SUPPLIES (§§ 2-5-101 — 2-5-219) › Part 1 - PETITIONS (§§ 2-5-101 — 2-5-151) › Section 2-5-151 - Petitions for recall, referendum or initiative

(a)
Any governmental entity having a charter provision for a petition for recall, referendum or initiative or any person acting pursuant to such charter provision shall meet the requirements of this section.
(b)
Before a petition may be circulated, at least one (1) registered voter of the city or county shall file with the county election commission:
(1)
The proper form of the petition; and
(2)
The text of the question posed in the petition.
(c)
The county election commission shall certify whether the petition is in proper form within thirty (30) days after the filing of the documentation required by subsection (b). The individual or individuals filing the petition shall have fifteen (15) days to cure any defects in the documentation required by subsection (b) by filing revised documentation in proper form with the county election commission. The county election commission shall determine within fifteen (15) days whether or not the revised documentation shall be certified for final approval.
(d)
Petitions shall be signed by at least fifteen percent (15%) of those registered to vote in the municipality or county. The disqualification of one (1) or more signatures shall not render a petition invalid, but shall disqualify such signatures from being counted towards the statutory minimum number of signatures required in this section.
(e)
Upon filing, each completed petition shall contain the following:
(1)
The full text of the question attached to each petition;
(2)
The genuine signature and address of registered voters only, pursuant to the requirements of §
2-1-107
;
(3)
The printed name of each signatory; and
(4)
The date of signature.
(f)
(1)
Completed petitions shall be filed with the county election commission within seventy-five (75) days after final certification by the county election commission as required by subsection (c).
(2)
In addition, a petition for recall, referendum or initiative shall be filed at least ninety (90) days before a general municipal or county election may be held on the question contained in such petition. The question contained in a petition filed less than ninety (90) days before an upcoming general municipal or county election will be placed on the ballot of the following general municipal or county election.
(g)
Any person may request either in person or in writing that the county election commission remove such person's name from a petition. Such request must be made within eight (8) days of filing of the completed petition and before final certification by the county election commission of the petition.
(h)
The county election commission shall certify whether or not the completed petition meets all applicable requirements within thirty (30) days of filing of the completed petition.
(i)
Upon certification by the county election commission pursuant to subsection (h), the election commission shall publish the question contained in the petition pursuant to §
2-12-111
.
(j)
This section shall control notwithstanding any statutory provision or charter provision of a municipality or county to the contrary; provided, that any contrary charter provision of a municipality or county which is enacted after July 1, 1997, shall control with respect only to the requirements set forth in subsection (d) relating to the statutory minimum number of signatures required in a petition, and to the provisions of subdivision (f)(1) relating to the seventy-five-day deadline for filing of a petition after final certification by the county election commission.
(k)
This section shall control any petition with signatures filed with the county election commission on or after June 25, 1997.
(l)
Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, this section shall not apply to any county having a metropolitan form of government and a population greater than one hundred thousand (100,000), according to the 2000 federal census or any subsequent federal census.
Amended by 2013 Tenn. Acts, ch. 231,s 5, eff. 7/1/2013.
Acts 1997, ch. 558, § 33; 2005, ch. 428, § 1; 2012, ch. 1101, § 4.