Signatures Required

In Tennessee, a party is defined equally an organisation which nominates candidates for public office. T.C.A. § ii-one-104(a)(14). A political party may exist established either statewide, solely inside one (1) canton, or when in that location is a special main/general election to fill a vacancy in the Tennessee Full general Assembly, then the political political party may class within the legislative district for such special primary/general election.

To become a recognized minor party, organizers must file a formation petition which is signed by registered voters of Tennessee equal to at least two and a half percent (two.5%) of the full number of votes cast for all gubernatorial candidates in the almost recent ballot for governor within the relevant jurisdiction.

For statewide recognition, the number of signatures needed is at to the lowest degree ii.5% of the total number of votes bandage for all gubernatorial candidates in the most recent election for governor for the entire state. Because there were a total of two,243,294 votes bandage for governor in 2018, at least 56,083 registered voters of the State of Tennessee must sign the petition to grade a statewide recognized pocket-sized party. (56,083 is 2.5% of 2,243,294, which was the total number of votes cast for governor in November of 2018.) Statewide recognition allows the recognized modest political party to accept candidates for any federal, state or county office on the ballot which is not required to be non-partisan.

For recognition solely within one (1) canton, the number of signatures needed is at to the lowest degree 2.5% of the total number of votes cast for all gubernatorial candidates in the most recent ballot for governor within the respective canton in which recognition is sought. Recognition within a unmarried county allows the recognized minor political political party to have candidates for any federal, state or county office on the ballot in that canton which is not required to exist non-partisan whose district lines are wholly within that canton. For example, if a state firm legislative commune consists of three counties, then a modest political party must obtain the required petition in each canton which makes up the legislative district.

For recognition within a legislative district to make full a vacancy in the Tennessee General Assembly, organizers must file a formation petition containing signatures equal to at least 2.5% of the full number of votes cast for all gubernatorial candidates in the about recent election for governor inside the respective legislative commune. Recognition within the legislative district allows the recognized minor political party to have candidates participate in the special primary/general ballot which has been chosen for the specific legislative district having a vacancy.

Content of the Petition

Regardless of the jurisdiction in which the political party seeks to be recognized as a minor party, the petition must be filed with the coordinator of elections and must contain certain statutory requirements.

Each folio of the petition must country the purpose of the petition and country the name of the minor political party. Those who sign the petition must be registered voters of the jurisdiction in which the minor political party seeks recognition. Nonetheless, each page of the petition must contain the names of registered voters from a unmarried county. T.C.A. § 2-1-104(a).

Proper name of Minor Party

The name of the minor political party shall not exist, or include, the name, or any word forming any office of the name, of whatever statewide political party currently in existence. Too, the proper name of the small party shall not include the discussion "contained" or "nonpartisan." If the name of the minor political party includes any prohibited word, then the coordinator of elections shall redact that portion of the minor party name and but use that portion of the minor party proper name which remains.

Borderline for Filing Petition

To be recognized every bit a statewide minor political party or as a party in a single county for a principal election, the required petition must be filed in the role of the coordinator of elections no later than 12:00 noon on the qualifying deadline as established in T.C.A. § 2-v-101(a). For the May 3, 2022 county chief, if one is held, a petition to exist recognized every bit a small party within a county must be filed no later than 12:00 noon on February 17, 2022. For the August 4, 2022 federal and state principal ballot, a petition to be recognized every bit a minor party must be filed no later than 12:00 noon on Apr 7, 2022.

To be recognized as a statewide pocket-size political party or as a political party in a single county for a general election, the required petition must exist filed in the office of the coordinator of elections no later than 12:00 noon 90 days prior to the date on which the full general election is to be held. For the August 4, 2022 general election, a petition to be recognized as a minor party must be filed no later than 12:00 noon on May 6, 2022. For the November 8, 2022 general election, a petition to exist recognized as a minor party must be filed no later than 12:00 noon on Baronial ten, 2022.

In the example of a special primary/general election, to be recognized equally a pocket-sized party in a legislative district, the petition must be filed no later on than 12:00 apex on the appropriate qualifying deadline for such special primary.

The coordinator of elections must make up one's mind the sufficiency of the petition within 30 days after receipt of the filed petition.

Contact Data of Organizers Required

The petition must be accompanied by the name and address of the person or the names and addresses of the members of the group or association filing the petition to form the small political party. T.C.A. § 2-13-107.

Contact Information for the Tennessee Partitioning of Elections:

If you lot take further questions regarding the process for recognizing a minor party in Tennessee, you may contact the following function:

Marker Goins, Coordinator of Elections Division of Elections
312 Rosa Fifty. Parks Avenue, 7th Floor
Nashville, TN 37243
Phone: 877-850-4959