EVCIElection Voter-Confidence Index

This statute codifies requirements for sample ballot publication with specified timing (5 days before early voting or election) and content requirements (names of candidates, offices, and statements of ballot questions). However, it falls short of a comprehensive voter pamphlet requirement. The statute mandates sample ballots via newspaper publication or mail/website posting, but does not require the detailed candidate information (biography, positions, endorsements) or comprehensive ballot-question explanations typical of voter pamphlets. The requirement is for 'sample ballots' showing how to vote rather than informational pamphlets about candidates and measures. Distribution is defined (newspaper, mail to registered voters, or website), and content minimums are specified, but the scope is narrower than a full voter pamphlet framework.

No matching sections in corpus.

The statute mandates public accessibility of filed reports during regular office hours and requires the registry to develop forms and filing systems. However, the section addresses election finance disclosure statements (campaign finance reports), not candidate-filing documents such as nominating petitions or eligibility certifications. While it establishes a framework for public access to filed documents and requires notification to candidates about filing requirements, it does not specifically enumerate candidate-filing documents (nominating petitions, eligibility certifications) or define a specific time window for public accessibility beyond 'regular office hours.' The statute satisfies the procedural clarity dimension partially by codifying public access rights and filing timelines for finance disclosures, but does not fully address the statutory requirement for public accessibility of nominating petitions or eligibility certifications.

“Make each report filed available for public inspection and copying during regular office hours at the expense of any person requesting copies of the same”

This section addresses withdrawal procedures for write-in candidates specifically, codifying that they may withdraw notice by filing a letter of withdrawal no later than five days before the election. However, the statute does not comprehensively address the broader criterion of public-notice procedures when candidates are disqualified or withdraw after ballots are printed. The section focuses narrowly on write-in ballot notice withdrawal mechanics rather than establishing a statutory framework for notifying the public of candidate disqualification or withdrawal post-printing. It mentions informing 'the state coordinator of elections, the registry of election finance, as well as all other candidates' but does not codify procedures for notifying voters themselves. The criterion requires codification of public-notice procedures, which this section only partially satisfies through its write-in withdrawal provisions.

“A write-in candidate may withdraw the notice by filing a letter of withdrawal in the same manner as the original notice was filed no later than the fifth day before the election.”

Tennessee Code § 2-12-111 codifies a clear statutory requirement for voter notification of elections. The statute specifies: (1) the responsible party (county election commission), (2) the medium (newspaper of general circulation), (3) the timing (multiple windows: 21 days before qualifying deadline for regular elections; 20-30 days before for ballot questions; 3-10 days before for election details), and (4) the required content (day, time, and polling places). The statute also requires inclusion of the full resolution/instrument for elections on questions. This directly satisfies the criterion's requirement that notification rules and timing be codified in statute with both timing and content defined.

“The county election commission shall publish, in a newspaper of general circulation in the county, a notice of every election, stating the day, time and polling places for the election, not more than ten (10) nor less than three (3) days before the day of the election.”

The statute requires notification ('must mail notices') when convenient voting centers differ from the previous election cycle, which partially addresses polling-place change notice requirements. However, the statute has significant gaps: (1) it does NOT specify a defined timeframe for when notices must be mailed relative to the election, (2) it limits notice requirements to 'active registered voters only,' potentially excluding some voters, (3) it applies only when convenient voting centers 'differ from those used in the previous election cycle'—not to all polling-place changes, and (4) the provision appears conditional on certain counties meeting prerequisites (subsection (a)), narrowing its application. The statute establishes a notification rule for a narrow category of polling-place changes but fails to codify clear timing requirements, making it partially but not fully compliant with the criterion's requirement for 'individual notice within a defined timeframe.'

“Any county meeting the requirements of subsection (a) must mail notices to active registered voters only if the election commission designates convenient voting centers that differ from those used in the previous election cycle.”