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Nashville, TN (WSMV) — After a massive rise in absentee ballot requests, News 4 talked with Tennessee leaders if they would ever allow for mail in ballots for everyone.
This year, Tennessee election officials saw thousands and thousands more people across the state ask for absentee ballots to vote.
COVID-19 was mentioned in some of the listed reasons people could request one. Some state lawmakers told News 4 moving forward they’re working to make sure everyone can vote by mail in.
The Secretary of State’s office who oversees elections told News 4 any possibility of future elections allowing mail in votes would have to come with law makers changing the rules.
“There’s no real argument with mail in ballots and we just need to move forward with them right now,” State Rep. Mike Stewart (D-52) said.
Stewart said there are efforts to make that happen.
“We need to have 100 percent availability of mail in ballots anybody who wants mail in ballots would be able to get one let’s make it simple,” Stewart said.
Davidson County Election Administrator Jeff Roberts told News 4 going into the election there were significantly more absentee votes.
According to the Secretary of State’s website, more than 210,000 Tennesseans requested an absentee ballot.
“Obviously as a first step we need to allow anyone who is fearful for medical reasons to go to the polls should be allowed to do an absentee ballot,” Stewart said.
For now, officials in Secretary of State Tre Hargett’s Office told News 4 [their] goal was to conduct this election safely, sensibly, and responsibly and [the] COVID-19 election plan paid off
they also said “Due to the current pandemic the COVID-19 language will remain on the absentee by-mail application.”
Speaking generally, GOP members across the country have not been keen on mail in voting this year. However, News 4 did reach out to the Tennessee GOP Caucus for their opinion, they were not able to get us an interview or statement.
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