NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — First-time voters can now vote absentee after a district court ruling.
The district judge made the ruling which blocks a long-standing law only allowing first-time voters to cast their ballot in person.
According to the Coordinator of Elections for Tennessee Mark Goins, the ruling happened after a student challenged the law. The student was trying to be allowed to vote in his home state while attending college in Louisiana. Even though that student now resides and is going to school in Tennessee, the rule was still changed to grant increased freedom to new voters.
Goins said the ruling was made with COVID-19 in mind.
"Certainly, the pandemic has given rise to the law to be challenged. But this isn't unique to Tennessee. This particular challenge may be unique to Tennessee. If you look nationwide, there's more litigation than in recent history," said Goins.
Goins said there are about 200 legal challenges to election law happening across the country right now. Though, Tennessee's law regarding first-time voters is unique.
He said the goal was to allow first-time voters to mail-in-vote when they don't live in the county where their ballot will be cast.
He said he believes the law that was changed is at least 20 years old.
"When you register by mail, that signature that we capture, that's the same signature we use to verify absentee ballots," said Goins. "And so, the legislature said we would like for someone to see this individual first before they're able to vote by mail."
First-time voters still can't vote without one of the 14 qualifying reasons for anyone who votes absentee. Click here to see who is eligible to vote absentee this year.
Goins said before this ruling, many first time voters were able to get around the law by registering to vote with an election official. He said election commissions would often hold events at high schools to register students which would allow absentee voting before the rule was changed.
