HB 193 / SB 1108

In 2017, the General Assembly passed a law allowing counties to elect to use voting “convenience centers” in place of precinct voting locations. These centers are used to consolidate precincts and give local election commissions extraordinary powers to determine where these voting centers are located regardless of precinct lines.

Beyond the use of voting centers, some counties (i.e. Williamson County) have begun allowing voters to cast their vote at ANY voting center no matter the precinct in which they reside. These decisions have led to longer wait times for voters and are certainly anything but “convenient.” But perhaps even more dangerous is that in the minds of many election commissioners, these increased wait times now speak to the “need” for more electronic voting machines.

This bill will repeal the 2017 voting center pilot program and return all counties to precinct voting. This bill is critical to election security.

It is worth noting that the use of these voting centers is wholly unconstitutional.

“The General Assembly shall have power to enact laws requiring voters to vote in the election precincts in which they may reside, and laws to secure the freedom of elections and the purity of the ballot box.” – Article IV, Section 1 of the Tennessee State Constitution.