Help participants change their identities or relocate.
Remove or delete existing public records.
Offer legal advice.
Relieve participants of their legal or financial responsibilities.
What happens to mail sent to the substitute address?
The Safe at Home Program will receive all first class and certified mail sent to the substitute address and then forward that mail to the participant at their designated mailing address.
What if I do not receive or ruin my ballot and can no longer use it?
You may request an absentee by-mail ballot no earlier than ninety (90) days before the election and no later than seven (7) days before the election. To be processed for the next election, the application must be received by the election commission no later than seven (7) days before the election.
What is the deadline to return my ballot so it can be counted?
You must mail your ballot in time for your county election commission to receive it no later than the close of polls on Election Day.
I work for an agency, how many days before a Rulemaking Hearing must I file a notice?
We recommend filing a Notice of Rulemaking Hearing 52 days prior to the hearing.
The T.C.A. requires a notice to be posted 45 days prior to a hearing. In addition to the 45 days, our office is allotted 7 days to process your agency’s notice prior to posting it online.
I have a question about the rule filing process, who can I contact?
There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to filing notices and rules and we are here to help answer your questions! Our Rulemaking Guidelines packet can be a helpful resource to obtain general information about the filing process.
I have a question regarding a posted rule online, who can I contact?
While the Secretary of State’s office is responsible for receiving and posting agency rules and regulations, we are not qualified to answer questions pertaining to rule content.
You can visit the Effective Rules table here. General contact information can be found at the bottom of each Authority’s rules page.
Can I hand deliver my ballot to the election office?
No. You must return your ballot by mail (USPS, FedEx, UPS, etc.).
Is additional information required to vote absentee by-mail if I am a first-time voter who registered to vote by-mail?
Unless you are on the permanent absentee voting register, enrolled in the Safe at Home program, or you have previously voted in the county of registration, you must appear in-person to vote in the first election after you have registered by-mail or online at GoVoteTN.gov.
What are the hours of work?
Normally poll workers report to work one hour before polls open and leave one hour after the poll closes. Check with your county election commission for more information.
What are the qualifications to be a poll worker?
To be a poll worker, a person must:
Be at least 16 years old
Be a registered voter in the county if 18 or older
Be able to read and write in the English language
Not be supervised by a county or municipal elected official on the ballot
Not be a candidate or close relative of a candidate. Close relatives are defined as the spouse, parent, father-in-law, mother-in-law, child, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, uncle, aunt, nephew, or niece of a candidate on the ballot or a write-in candidate
Government Employees Who Can Serve as Poll Worker:
All City, County and Metro employees (unless working directly under the supervision of an elected official on the ballot)
State of Tennessee employees
Federal employees – consult your Human Resources Department to ensure eligibility
A poll worker shall also:
Have strong clerical skills
Be able to solve problems
Be an effective communicator
How do I become a poll worker?
If you are interested in becoming a poll worker, apply by filling out an application form. Poll workers are appointed locally based on need.
What are the training requirements for poll workers?
County Election Commissions are required by state law to provide training. This training provides all the necessary information and knowledge to be a successful poll worker.
How do I apply?
The Office of the Secretary of State has developed an application form that must be used to apply for the program, which captures all required information and must be completed with the assistance of a Certified Application Assistant, who must also sign the application. The application must be submitted to the Safe at Home Program by a certified application assistant.
All special library materials--books, magazines and playback equipment--are circulated through the mail postage free. Patrons must borrow books each year to remain eligible for the service.
How do I start the service?
You must first complete an application for service and send it to the Tennessee library. All states provide the service for their residents.
Are poll workers paid or volunteers?
Poll workers are compensated for working at polling places at a rate determined by the county election commission and are also compensated for attending any required training sessions. Poll workers may also choose to volunteer their services, but most are paid.
How do I know what titles are available?
Bimonthly magazines will tell you about newly released books and related library services: Talking Book Topics and Braille Book Review. You may also order general catalogs. You can always call the library to ask about authors and titles. The National Library Service catalog is searchable online.
Where will I be assigned?
Every effort is made to assign a poll workers to their neighborhood voting site. However, poll workers must be willing to be flexible and consider assignments at other sites in the county based on need.
Do I qualify for the permanent absentee list?
You will receive an application for ballot for each election if your licensed physician signs a statement stating that, in their judgment, you are medically unable to vote in person. The statement must be filed not less than seven (7) days before the election and signed under the penalty of perjury.
Are participants able to be selected for jury duty?
Program Participants are not subject to selection for state or municipal jury duty. T.C.A. § 40-38-607.
Program participants should not appear on state or municipal jury selection lists. If a program participant is selected for jury service, the summoning court should excuse the program participant.
If a program participant receives a jury summons for either state or municipal jury duty, the Participant must notify the summoning court of the participant's exempt status and provide a copy of the Participant's Certificate of Program Participation, if requested.
Participants may not fail to respond to a jury summons.
Where can I find a Certified Application Assistant?
Certified Application Assistants work with various state and local agencies and/or nonprofit agencies that provide counseling and shelter services to victims of domestic abuse and other crimes. At list of Certified Application Assistants can be found here. Safe at Home is most effective as part of an overall safety plan. Additional information regarding safety plans can be found here.
How do I play the talking books?
Special playback equipment is loaned to patrons who use the library service. Books and magazines in the TLABM collection are recorded at a slower speed than conventional recordings and the books require special players. Players are mailed to patrons postage free. The library repairs and replaces equipment as necessary. For patrons who wish to purchase their own equipment, a vendor list is available.
May state employees become poll workers?
Yes. State employees may become poll workers.
What is provided?
The library service loans recorded, large print and braille books and magazines, music scores in large print and braille and special playback equipment. The TLABM book collection of over 50,000 titles includes popular fiction and nonfiction, best sellers, classics, history, biographies, religious literature, children's books and books in foreign language. There are over 70 popular magazines available. Go to Available Materials to find out more.