TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Nov 29, 2023

A group of Tennessee voters, including former Knoxville mayor Victor Ashe, have filed a federal lawsuit challenging a new state law requiring polling places to inform voters that it is illegal to vote in a primary election without being a "bona fide" political party member. According to the Tennessean, the lawsuit alleges there is no legal mechanism to determine a voter's "bona fide" party credentials and the law could spark voter confusion. Tennessee does not require voters to register by political party, meaning voters choose at the polls what party primary ballot they prefer. The League of Women Voters of Tennessee also joined the suit.