2019 Tennessee Code
Title 2 - Elections
Chapter 5 - Ballots and Supplies
Part 1 - Petitions
§ 2-5-102. Nominating petitions -- Form -- Requirements.

(a) Nominating petitions shall be in substantially the following form:

• We the undersigned registered voters of the city of ____, (for municipal elections) in the county of ____, State of Tennessee, (and members of the (for primaries) ____ Party), hereby nominate. (for municipal elections) ____ ____, (name) (address) ____ County as a candidate (for nomination) for the office of (for primaries) ____, ____ (office) (division, part or district number) to be voted in the election to be held on the ____ day of ____, ____. We request that such candidate's name be printed on the official ballot. This petition was issued by ____, (signature of administrator of elections, deputy or election commissioner) ____ (date) TO BE COMPLETED BY CANDIDATE
  • I hereby direct that my name appear on the official ballot as follows:

(b)

• (1) All nominating petitions required for nomination and election to all congressional, state, county, municipal and political party executive committee offices shall be furnished only by the county election commission office. At the time of issuance of the nominating petitions, the administrator of elections, deputy or a county election commissioner shall type or handwrite in ink at the top of the cover page and each succeeding page of the form the name of the candidate, the office sought by the candidate, including any division, part, district or other identifying number for the office sought, and shall sign and date the form. Additional pages to be attached to a nominating petition may be obtained at a later date; provided, that each additional page must also have the name of the candidate, the office being sought and any identifying number for the office typed or handwritten at the top by the administrator, deputy or election commissioner along with the candidate's signature and the date.

• (2) Nominating petitions for offices listed in § 2-13-202 may also be obtained from the office of the coordinator of elections. An employee of the coordinator's office has the same responsibilities as the administrator, deputy and election commissioners in subdivision (b)(1).

• (3) The items to be completed under subdivisions (b)(1) and (2) may not be altered, and a petition on which any of these items has been altered may not be accepted in the office in which it is required to be filed in this state. Neither shall any original nominating petition be accepted on which any of the items required to be completed under subdivisions (b)(1) and (2) have been photocopied.

• (4) If a county election commission finds it necessary to photocopy the nominating petition, the county election commission shall indicate in the upper right hand corner of each page that the document was photocopied by the county election commission prior to distributing the form to a candidate. Such information shall be typed, stamped or otherwise permanently affixed to the form.

• (5) Nominating petitions must not be issued by any administrator, deputy, county election commissioner, or employee of the coordinator's office more than sixty (60) days before the qualifying deadline for the office for which the petition is issued; provided, that nominating petitions for the offices of President of the United States and delegates to the national conventions of all statewide political parties may be issued only by an employee of the coordinator's office and must not be issued more than ninety (90) days before the applicable qualifying deadline for the respective office. During any year in which reapportionment must occur, the coordinator of elections shall determine the earliest date on which petitions may be issued.