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Tennessee Conservative News Staff –
A new initiative is seeing lawmakers, community groups, and nonprofit organizations working together to encourage inactive Tennessee voters to participate in the next round of elections.
State Representative Justin Pearson (D-Memphis-D86), along with several community groups and nonprofits, launched ActivateTN in April. The initiative says they are working to make sure Tennesseans are aware of their current voter status and to encourage them to be ready to cast their ballot in August.
Current state law places voters on an “inactive” status if they do not vote in four years. After two more federal voting cycles – or a max of four additional years – they are purged from voter rolls if there is still no action taken.
According to Pearson, there are 740,000 inactive voters in Tennessee, with 140,000 of those in Shelby County.
“They may not know that in the state of Tennessee, your right to vote is not permanent,” Pearson said. “It is a privilege that can be taken away if you do not vote within eight years.”
ActivateTN is also working with local churches and other community organizations to create a plan for transportation on early voting days and election day.
“My goal, Republican, Democrat, Independent, is to bring everybody together to make sure that people who are listed as inactive become active voters so that they do not lose their right to vote, which is a fundamental right that people have fought for, bled for; died for,” Pearson stated.
The Tennessee Secretary of State’s office told News 2 that people are given ample time and opportunity to keep themselves from becoming inactive.
If they are in jeopardy of being placed on the inactive list, they are given a notice and a chance to respond to verify their status. Additionally, they are still not removed until those two federal cycles have passed.
“These notice and time requirements provide voters with the opportunity to confirm their eligibility and remain registered to vote,” stated a spokesperson for the Secretary of State’s Office in an email. “This is the process outlined in federal and state law.”
Low voter turnout is nothing new for Tennessee. Nonprofit group Think Tennessee ranked the state as having the worst voter turnout in the country for the 2022 election.
You can check your Voter Registration Status on the Tennessee Secretary of State website HERE.
