Technology (Elections)

HB 457, now law as Public Chapter 371, amends Tennessee election procedures to enhance security and transparency. It requires county election commissions to publish the location of provisional counting boards and prohibits them from tabulating marked ballots submitted online or using internet-connected voting machines. The bill also adds a provision allowing commissions to notify petitioners of defects in their documentation. These changes directly affect county election commissions and impact how voting is processed and secured in Tennessee elections. The law focuses on preventing internet-related vulnerabilities in the voting process.

SB 626 amends Tennessee's election laws to require county election commissions to publish locations of provisional counting boards and prohibit tabulating marked ballots submitted online. It also bans voting machines from connecting to the internet, directly affecting how counties manage ballot processing and voting technology. The bill makes these specific procedural changes to election administration without altering voter eligibility or ballot access. Signed by the governor on May 5, 2025, it became effective May 13, 2025.

HB 139 prohibits the use of voting machines or equipment to cast, receive, or transmit election ballots over the internet, except for military personnel and citizens living abroad. The bill amends Tennessee election law (TCA Title 2, Chapters 6 and 9) to require that all voting equipment must not transmit or receive ballots via the internet. This directly affects all voters in Tennessee elections who would otherwise use internet-connected voting systems, with the exception of eligible military and overseas voters covered under existing provisions. The law aims to restrict internet-based ballot transmission through official voting equipment, maintaining traditional voting methods.