Senator Joey Hensley Highlights Election Legislation Passed During 2026 Session

State Senator Joey Hensley has released a legislative update highlighting election integrity and voting measures approved during the 2026 session of the Tennessee General Assembly.

Hensley said lawmakers advanced a proposed constitutional amendment that would specify that only U.S. citizens are eligible to vote in Tennessee elections. The proposal must pass again during the next General Assembly before it could be placed before voters on the 2030 gubernatorial ballot.

Lawmakers also approved legislation allowing election officials to use the federal SAVE system to verify citizenship status during the voter registration process.

Other legislation highlighted by Hensley bans private funding of elections and establishes additional requirements concerning rejected voter registrations and voter roll maintenance.

Hensley also cited legislation making home addresses on nominating petitions confidential for judicial candidates and requiring disclosures for certain AI-generated political advertisements and deepfake content.

Two additional proposed constitutional amendments involve Tennessee elections. One would revise residency requirements for judicial candidates, while another would move general elections for judicial and civil officers from August to November and their primaries to August. The election-date proposal would not affect elections for assessors of property.

Both proposed amendments would have to receive the required approval during the next General Assembly before they could be submitted to Tennessee voters in 2030.