(a) Polling places shall be open for voting for a minimum of ten (10) continuous hours but no more than thirteen (13) hours. All polling places in counties in the eastern time zone shall close at eight o'clock p.m. (8:00 p.m.) prevailing time and polling places in counties in the central time zone shall close at seven o'clock p.m. (7:00 p.m.) prevailing time.(b)(1) At least fifteen (15) days before the date of each election, the county election commission shall determine a uniform time for the opening of all polling places in the county.(2)(A) All polling places shall open at eight o'clock a.m. (8:00 a.m.) prevailing time in counties having a population according to the 1970 federal census or any subsequent federal census of: not less thannor more than63,70063,80028,20028,30024,20024,30023,47523,500(B) In any county having a population of not less than one hundred twenty thousand (120,000) according to the 1970 federal census or any subsequent federal census, all polling places shall open by eight o'clock a.m. (8:00 a.m.) prevailing time, but nothing shall prevent an earlier opening time in the discretion of the county election commission.(c) In the case of municipal elections in open by eight o'clock a.m. (8:00 a.m.) prevailing time, but nothing shall prevent an earlier opening time in the discretion of the county election commission.(c) In the case of municipal elections in a municipality having a population of not more than five thousand (5,000), according to the 1980 federal census or any subsequent federal census, where there is no opposition for any of the offices involved, the polling places shall open at the hour of ten o'clock a.m. (10:00 a.m.) and close at the hour of six o'clock p.m. (6:00 p.m.).Acts 1972, ch. 740, § 1; T.C.A., § 2-307; Acts 1980, ch. 649, §§ 4, 5; 1981, ch. 385, §§ 1, 2; 1982, ch. 665, § 1; 1999, ch. 197, § 2.
Tennessee Legal Code