NASHVILLE – Tennessee soldiers serving overseas will find it easier to vote in elections back home under a bill sponsored by Rep. Gerald McCormick, R-Chattanooga.
The bill (HB 2799), which got caught up in partisan wrangling last year, was approved today on voice vote by members of the Elections Subcommittee of the House State and Local Government Committee. It now goes on to the full committee.
Rep. McCormick’s bill allows county election commissions to send ballots by e-mail to service members who are overseas in order to save time. Service members would still have to send their votes back by traditional mail in order to help ensure the privacy of their ballots.
Meanwhile, a controversial bill requiring Tennesseans to submit proof of U.S. citizenship before becoming eligible to vote moved through the same panel after it was substantially amended.
The bill by Rep. Eric Watson, R-Cleveland, which failed on a tie vote last year, now requires prospective voters to check a box stating they are U.S. citizens. Violators run the risk of up to two years imprisonment and $5,000 fines for lying.