Dear Reader:
The following document was created from the MTAS electronic library known as MORe (www.mtas.tennessee.edu/more). This online library is maintained daily by MTAS staff and seeks to represent the most current information regarding issues relative to Tennessee municipal government.
We hope this information will be useful to you; reference to it will assist you with many of the questions that will arise in your tenure with municipal government. However, the Tennessee Code Annotated and other relevant laws or regulations should always be consulted before any action is taken based upon the contents of this document.
Please feel free to contact us if you have questions or comments regarding this information or any other MORe material.
Sincerely,
The University of Tennessee
Municipal Technical Advisory Service
1610 University Avenue
Knoxville, TN 37921-6741
865-974-0411 phone
865-974-0423 fax
www.mtas.tennessee.edu
Nominating petitions must be signed by the candidate and 25 or more registered voters eligible to vote for the office the candidate is seeking. T.C.A. § 2-5-101(b)(1). Such petitions may not be issued more than 90 days before the qualifying deadline. T.C.A. § 2-5-102 (b)(5).
The county election commission office is required to furnish nominating petition forms for municipal elections. T.C.A. § 2-5-102(b)(1). Candidates in a city that lies in two or more counties must file their original nominating petitions with the chairperson or administrator of elections in the county where the city hall is located. They also must file certified duplicates of the petition with the commissions of all the counties in which the city lies. T.C.A. § 2-5-104.
If candidates miss a filing deadline or if their petitions do not contain the signatures and home addresses of at least 25 registered voters eligible to vote for the offices the candidates are seeking, their names may not be printed on the ballot. T.C.A. § 2-5-101(c).
T.C.A. § 2-5-101 and T.C.A. § 2-2-204 provide procedures for qualifying additional candidates if another candidate is nominated but dies or withdraws before the election.
DISCLAIMER: The letters and publications written by the MTAS consultants were written based upon the law at the time and/or a specific sets of facts. The laws referenced in the letters and publications may have changed and/or the technical advice provided may not be applicable to your city or circumstances. Always consult with your city attorney or an MTAS consultant before taking any action based on information contained in this website.
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