Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Registration...Absentee Ballots...Voting Am I still registered if I move inside the county or change my name? To remain properly registered, you must report name changes, address changes and incorrect voter registration cards to the Election Commission at least two weeks before Election Day. Address changes must be made in-person, by mail or by fax. I mailed in a voter registration. How soon should I get my card? If you have registered to vote and have not received your voter registration card within three (3) weeks, please contact the Election Commission. Are any parts of the registration form optional? A registration form cannot be processed unless it is completely filled out with an ink pen. This includes social security number, birth date, and the felony question. Can I register to vote when I get a new driver’s license? How does that work? If you wish to register to vote when you obtain your driver’s license, you must obtain a voter registration application and return it to the Election Commission. Just checking Yes on the form does not complete the process. I think my polling place has changed, or I just don’t remember where it is. Who can I call? Make sure you verify your voting location before Election Day, by calling the Election Commission at 215-2480. I was registered in another county before moving to Knox County. Can I vote in Knox County? Not until you register in Knox County. Registrations are not transferable from county to county. When you fill out a registration for Knox County, your previous registration will be cancelled. I voted absentee at the last election. Will I get an absentee ballot for this next election? No, absentee requests are used only for the one specific election requested. How do I get an absentee ballot? Applications for absentee voting may be requested in-person, or in writing by mail or by fax not more than ninety (90) days and not later than seven (7) days before the election. I registered by mail and have my voter registration card. A friend told me I have to vote in person. Is this correct? Yes, if it will be the first time you vote since receiving your card. Anyone who registers by mail must vote in-person the first time he or she votes after registering. Does everyone have to vote in person the first time? No. If you registered in person at the Knox County Election Commission, then you can vote absentee in your first election. I thought I was going to be out of town on Election Day and requested an absentee ballot. Now my plans have changed. Can I go to my polling place and vote instead? Not this time. Once a voter requests to vote by mail, he or she must vote by mail for that election. How do I contact the Election Commission? You can call the commission at 215-2480 or fax them at 215-4239. The TDD line is 215-2954. The mailing address is: Room 218, 300 Main Ave., Knoxville, TN 37902.The Election Commission is listed under Knox County in the blue government pages in the phone book. What can I expect when I go to Polling Place? How do I actually cast my ballot? The first thing to remember is this: if you are unsure how to use the machine, ask for instructions. The poll workers are there to help you. If you have trouble seeing or pushing the screen, you may take someone into the booth to assist you. When you arrive at your voting place, you will sign in at the front table and show some identification. You will then go to the tables with the registration books and give the poll worker your name. When your name is found in the book, you will be assigned a number; it will be recorded beside your name to indicate you have come to vote. You will be given a slip of paper with the same number on it. Go to a voting machine, waiting in line if necessary. When it is your turn at the machine, give the slip to the machine attendant and step inside the curtain. Unlike Florida and many other places in the nation, Knox County has easy-to-use, computerized voting machinery. You will be using a "touch screen" to record your votes. Each office on the ballot is inside a box on the screen and there is a light flashing by each candidate's name. Push the light for the candidate of your choice. The light will stay lit and the other lights for that office will go out. When you have finished voting for all the offices you want to vote for, push the big green button in the lower right corner of the machine to record your vote. Leave the booth and enjoy knowing you've participated in keeping our democracy healthy. If you want to write in a vote for someone not listed on the ballot, ask the attendant for instructions.