Our democracy works best when voters have a say in the decisions that most affect them and their loved ones, yet legislators are actively attempting to restrict Tennesseans’ fundamental right to vote and their ability to shape the future of their elected representation.
SB 2631/HB 0161 requires new voters to declare a political party affiliation or select to be designated as "unaffiliated" to vote in primary elections, infringing upon voter privacy, impeding voter engagement, and diminishing the freedom of all Tennesseans to decide, election by election, whether to vote in a party's primary.
Tell legislators that regardless of party affiliation, all voters should have the freedom to participate in primary elections.
Currently, Tennessee voters do not have to register with a political party to vote in primaries, which allows individuals to vote for the most qualified person in any given election, regardless of that candidate’s party affiliation.
Introducing partisan registration and partially closed primaries effectively restricts voter's freedom of choice, narrows candidate options, and further empowers the polarization of political parties at the expense of voter representation and influence.
