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Nonpartisan group now classifies Tennessee primary elections as closed

Staff photo by Matt Hamilton/ A sign posted at the Hamilton County Election Commission on Feb. 8 advises voters of a 1972 law.
Staff photo by Matt Hamilton/ A sign posted at the Hamilton County Election Commission on Feb. 8 advises voters of a 1972 law. Staff photo by Matt Hamilton/ A sign posted at the Hamilton County Election Commission on Feb. 8 advises voters of a 1972 law.

By Ellen Gerst 4 min read


In January, the nonpartisan National Conference of State Legislatures listed Tennessee’s primary elections as open — meaning any voter can ask for either a Republican or Democratic ballot when they go to vote.

But in February, the conference switched Tennessee into its “closed” primary category.

(READ MORE: What to know and where to vote in the Hamilton County primary election)

The change comes during the first primary election in Tennessee in which polling places are required to post signs advising voters of criminal penalties for casting a ballot for a party if they aren’t a “bona fide member” of that party.