2015 Tennessee Code
Title 2 - Elections
Chapter 13 - Political Parties and Primaries
Part 2 - Selection of Candidates
§ 2-13-203 - Methods of nomination for other offices.

(a) (1) Statewide political parties may nominate their candidates for any office other than those listed in § 2-13-202 by any method authorized under the rules of the party or by primary election under this title.

(2) Recognized minor parties may nominate their candidates for any office by any method authorized under the rules of the party or by primary election under this title.

(b) Persons nominated other than by primary method for offices to be filled by the voters of one (1) county or any part of a county shall be immediately certified by the chair of the nominating body to the county election commission by the qualifying deadlines.

(c) Persons nominated other than by primary method for offices to be filled by the voters of more than one (1) county, for state or federal office or for statewide office, shall be immediately certified to the coordinator of elections by the chair of the nominating body. The coordinator of elections shall thereafter certify such nominees to the county election commissions in each county in which the nominees are candidates by the qualifying deadline.

(d) (1) If a statewide political party decides to nominate by primary election under this section, the county executive committee shall, at least one hundred eighty (180) days before the qualifying deadline, direct, in writing, the county election commission of each county whose voters are entitled to vote to fill the office to hold the election. If the one hundred eightieth day falls on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, the deadline shall be the next regular business day. The county executive committee may revoke or rescind its decision to nominate by primary election by providing the county election commission with written notice not less than ninety (90) days before the qualifying deadline.

(2) If a nonrecognized minor party seeking recognition as a recognized minor party decides to nominate by primary election under this section, the officers of the nonrecognized minor party shall file a notice with the coordinator of elections of its intent to nominate by primary election by twelve o'clock (12:00) noon, prevailing time, by the qualifying deadline established in subdivision (d)(1). The notice shall be in writing and shall be signed by two (2) officers with authority to act for the party. The notice shall be notarized and contain the following statement:

We ___________________, and ___________________, officers of the _________________ Party certify under penalty of perjury that we are authorized to act for the _________________ Party.

(3) Primaries, if any, for nominating candidates for any office which will appear on the regular August election ballot shall be held on the first Tuesday in May before the August election. In the years in which an election will be held for president of the United States, a political party primary for offices to be elected in the regular August election may be held on the same day as the presidential preference primary. In such event, the qualifying deadline for candidates and for delegate-candidates shall be twelve o'clock (12:00) noon, prevailing time, on the date established in § 2-5-101(a)(2).

(e) Notwithstanding any provision of this section or any other law to the contrary, by resolution adopted by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the county legislative body of any county having a population in excess of eight hundred twenty-five thousand (825,000), according to the 1990 federal census or any subsequent federal census, the county legislative body may require that all elections to fill state trial court judgeships and county judicial offices in such county shall be conducted in a nonpartisan manner.