Bill > HB0458

This bill introduces several significant changes to Tennessee's election laws, focusing on voter registration, voter list maintenance, and voting procedures. The bill requires the coordinator of elections to regularly compare voter registration databases with various state and federal databases to ensure non-citizens are not registered to vote, including using the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program. It establishes a new process allowing registered voters to challenge the qualifications of other voters or voter applicants, requiring written challenges with specific grounds and providing a hearing process for such challenges. The bill mandates that first-time voters who register by mail or online must appear in person to vote in their first election and present identification, with some exceptions for absentee voters and those in address confidentiality programs. Additionally, the bill introduces new requirements for ballot security, such as mandatory watermarks, prohibitions on using unreadable codes for vote scanning, and requirements for optical scanners to create and publish digital images of ballots. The legislation also updates voter address verification processes, requiring more frequent checks and expanding the sources of address verification information. The bill will take effect on July 1, 2025, and includes a provision to mark driver's licenses for non-U.S. citizens as "NOT ELIGIBLE TO VOTE" to prevent potential voter registration issues.

Government Affairs

https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/Billinfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=HB0458&ga=114