Nashville Criminal Court Judge Angelita Dalton on Monday maintained her September order to restore the rights of four voters with prior felony convictions. Nashville Public Radio reports that attorneys for the state had appealed the ruling, citing a new rule that requires voters to restore their gun rights before their voting rights can be restored, which is often not possible with felony convictions. In her order, Dalton ruled that the state did not have standing to appeal the case, since Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk did not object to the original order.

Early voting in Tennessee concluded Thursday with over two million ballots cast, marking about 42% of total expected turnout. Overall, early voting was down about 2.9% compared to last year, though in-person early voting increased by 60,000 votes for a new state record. A 60% decrease in absentee ballots — which had surged in 2020 due to the pandemic — more than countered the in-person increase, the Nashville Banner reports. Election Day is Tuesday. Visit the Tennessee Secretary of State website to find polling locations, sample ballots, election information and more. The American Bar Association also has nonpartisan resources, programs and information to support voting, civic engagement and the electoral process.

Early voting at Casa Azafrán, a Nashville community center offering Spanish-language assistance, has seen significant turnout since early voting began on Oct. 16. According to the Nashville Banner, long lines have formed daily as voters seek assistance from Spanish-speaking staff. “A lot of people who recently became citizens and know one of our partners here [come to vote],” said Elizabeth Almaraz, an information and referral officer at the center. “They know staff in the building are able to speak Spanish and help them out.” In related news, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition Votes, a voter assistance group, says it has fielded over 3,200 calls statewide, with 125 requests for language interpretation at polling places. While roughly half of those were requests for Spanish language translation, the other half were for Korean, Amharic and Somali, among others.

A U.S. appeals court has ruled it is illegal for states to count mail-in ballots received after Election Day. The decision came in a case challenging Mississippi's five-day grace period. While the court did not order immediate changes to the state's procedures, it did call into question mail-in voting practices used in about 20 states, Reuters reports. The ruling from the New Orleans-based U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals leaves it up to a lower court to decide what to do next, but emphasized it is important to preserve the status quo ahead of the Nov. 5 election. The decision applies only to states under the 5th Circuit's jurisdiction.

Registered Tennesseans have until Thursday to vote early in the state and federal general election, ahead of the Nov. 5 election day. Voters need to bring valid photo identification to the polls when casting their ballot. A driver’s license or photo ID issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Tennessee state government, or the federal government is acceptable even if expired. A student ID or out-of-state driver’s license is not an accepted form of identification. For more information on how to vote early and how to find early voting locations, visit the Tennessee Secretary of State website.

Two representatives from the Davidson County Election Commission will facilitate early voting for incarcerated individuals in five jail facilities run by the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office on Oct. 29, a week ahead of the general election on Nov. 5. With approximately 70 people expected to participate, the effort marks a significant increase in engagement compared to past elections, the Nashville Banner reports. People in Nashville's jails are legally allowed to vote unless they have a felony conviction, though logistical challenges have historically hindered participation. Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall collaborated with community advocates to identify those eligible to vote, which resulted in 172 absentee ballot requests.

Federal prosecutors in Tennessee have released information about the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) election day efforts to handle voting rights concerns and threats of violence to election officials or staff. In the Eastern District of Tennessee, Assistant United States Attorney Mac D. Heavener III will serve as the district election officer. He can be reached at 423-823-5009 or 423-218-6652. In the Middle District of Tennessee, Criminal Chief Ben Schrader will lead election day efforts. He can be reached at 615-736-5151. In the Western District of Tennessee, Assistant United States Attorney Will Crow will be the point of contact. He can be reached at 901-544-4231. Allegations of election fraud and other election abuses should be referred to the statewide FBI office at 865-544-0751. Read more from each office at the links above.

Voters at 10 to 12 early voting sites in Shelby County reportedly have complained about problems getting touch-screen voting machines to show the candidate they voted for, the Daily Memphian reports. According to Action News 5, Shelby County members of the Legislative Democratic Caucus held a press conference Thursday evening to address the reports. The Shelby County Election Commission refuted claims that any irregularities have occurred, but instructed election officials at all of the sites to make styluses available to all voters. Shelby County Elections Administrator Linda Phillips said in a statement that, "To date, no voting irregularities have been identified." She encouraged voters to "carefully review their ballot before casting it." If voters have concerns, they should request assistance from election officials at the site and not leave the location until they are satisfied they have been able to vote for their choices in all of the races and referendums on the ballot.

Tennessee's early voting period for the Nov. 5 general election begins today and runs through Oct. 31. In addition to voting in the presidential, congressional and state legislative races, some local seats and referendums are on the ballot. The Tennessee Secretary of State has more election information, including for early and absentee voting, at GoVoteTN.gov. Specific times and polling place details vary by county. USA Today has more on early voting across the country.

Hamilton County saw historically low turnout in its August election, with only 15% of eligible voters participating, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press. Since then, the county has added about 8,000 new voter registrations, representing 80% of the voting-age population. As of last week, roughly 3,500 residents had requested absentee ballots. Tennesseans must register to vote by Oct. 7 to participate in the November general election, which will determine state and local representatives and decide a number of ballot issues.