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The Tennessee Conservative [By Adelia Kirchner] –
In a Jan. 7th press release the House Republican Caucus announced the filing of House Bill 69 (HB0069), “legislation establishing major safeguards to strengthen election integrity in Tennessee.”
Tennessee House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland-District 44) is the prime sponsor of this legislation.
“When one person votes illegally, it cancels out a legal citizen’s solemn right to decide who will lead in our communities, our state, and our nation,” Leader Lamberth stated. “Just as all eligible and law-abiding Americans have a duty to make their voice heard on Election Day, Tennessee has prioritized its duty to protect the rights of legal voters and the legitimacy of every vote cast.”
HB0069 as introduced, “requires the coordinator of elections, in collaboration with the department of safety and Tennessee bureau of investigation, to create two electronic portals prior to January 1, 2028, for purposes of verifying an applicant’s eligibility to vote based upon United States citizenship and conviction of a felony prior to registering the applicant to vote” and requires the Department of Safety “to issue lawful permanent residents a temporary driver license, instead of a standard license, to aid in determining voter eligibility for someone who presents a Tennessee driver license as identification.”
According to the House Republican Caucus, this legislation does three main things:
• Requires the Tennessee Secretary of State to work with local and state election officials to create a secure electronic portal for county election administrators to verify U.S. citizenship and voter eligibility.
• Requires the coordinator of elections, in collaboration with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, to create a similar portal to verify whether someone is ineligible to vote because of a felony conviction.
• Requires a visual distinction, such as a color or font on the face of a photo identification license, to differentiate the class designation for the purpose of voting.
Should a county administrator reject someone’s voter registration application based on information received via this secure electronic portal, the administrator would have to provide written notice of rejection to the applicant letting the applicant know that they can appeal the decision in accordance with TCA § 2-2-125.
Conservative Representatives Jody Barrett (R-Dickson-District 69) and Clay Doggett (R-Pulaski-District 70) have already shown support for HB0069 by signing on as co-sponsors of the bill.
The Jan. 7th press release notes that Lamberth is partnering with Rep. Barrett “to help guide passage of the bill in the House.”
“Strengthening public trust in the integrity of our elections has been an integral part of my legislative platform,” stated Barrett. “I am grateful to serve with caucus leaders like Rep. Lamberth who share the same passion for ensuring that it continues to be easy to vote and hard to cheat in Tennessee.”
On the Senate side, Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin-District 27) helped file HB0069.
“As the number one state for election integrity, Tennessee leads the nation in protecting the ballot box because we are committed to safeguarding the democratic process for current and future generations,” said Leader Johnson. “This legislation is a significant step forward in enhancing the security and trustworthiness of our election system by proposing additional safeguards to ensure that only eligible citizens can participate in the electoral process. I look forward to working with Leader Lamberth and my colleagues in the Senate to advance this important measure and uphold the confidence of Tennesseans in our democratic system.”
“Non-US citizens and convicted felons who have not had their rights restored should not be able to vote. Today, @SenJohnson [Sen. Jack Johnson] @Jodyforstaterep [Rep. Jody Barrett] & I filed HB 69, strengthening accountability in our electoral process and reaffirming our duty to Tennesseans to ensure integrity at the ballot box,” Lamberth wrote on X. “Every illegal vote cast cancels out your legal vote. We will not allow that to happen.”
Founder of The Tennessee Conservative Brandon Lewis shared Lamberth’s post saying, “I support Leadership in this effort. I hope they will also get behind Gino Bulso’s Trump Act, which is one of the only PREVENTATIVE bills I’ve seen so far to keep illegal aliens from coming to TN in the first place. PREVENTION beats REACTION after the fact!”
Tennessee’s 2025 legislative session is scheduled to begin Tuesday, Jan. 14th, at 12pm CST.
About the Author: Adelia Kirchner is a Tennessee resident and reporter for the Tennessee Conservative. Currently the host of Subtle Rampage Podcast, she has also worked for the South Dakota State Legislature and interned for Senator Bill Hagerty’s Office in Nashville, Tennessee. You can reach Adelia at adelia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
