Tennessee Weighs Opening Absentee Voting To Everyone, No Questions Asked

Voting absentee could become a lot easier in Tennessee.

A plan making its way through the legislature would let anybody cast their ballot by mail, no questions asked. Current state law requires voters to give a reason when they apply for an absentee ballot, but the excuses can be wide-ranging.

Advocates say opening absentee balloting to everyone
boosts turnout and gives voters more time
to research issues and candidates
before making their selections. M
any states have loosened restrictions on absentee ballots in recent years, and Oregon votes
entirely by mail.

The proposal, 
House Bill 553, stops short of vote-by-mail, but it would give the option to any voter who asks for it. 
They would join c
ollege students, truck drivers, the elderly, the disabled, jurors and people who are out-of-town during polling, all of whom can get an absentee ballot under current law.

Rep. Craig 
Fitzhugh (D-Ripley) notes that not
 even the candidates on the ballot have to show up on Election Day.

“We have a good system to keep up with absentees,” he says. “Let’s open it up not just for legislators and jurors, but for others as well.”

Voters still would need to request an absentee ballot in advance of each election. They’d also have to scan and mail in a copy of their ID to meet the state’s voter identification requirements.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have embraced the proposal, at least so far. But there’s still a major hurdle —
the price tag
. 

According to one estimate, the proposal would cost local governments as much as $2.2 million during peak elections. Fitzhugh, however, says that should be seen as a mark in its favor.

“I guess I should be happy about that because it shows it might be used a lot. Might be popular.”

Fitzhugh
adds that the estimate fails to take into account potential savings on Election Day if more people vote absentee.

The House Finance Committee is next in line to debate the legislation, perhaps as soon as next week.