Knox County Voter Guide
The League of Women Voters of Knoxville-Knox County has developed this guide to help voters make informed choices. We're a nonpartisan organization, which means we don't support or oppose any candidate or political party. The goal of this guide is to give you clear, accurate information so you can decide for yourself.
For the latest election information, visit the Knox County Election Commission website or GoVoteTN website.
Important Dates
| Event | Nov. 2026 Deadlines | More Information |
| Voter Registration Deadline | Monday, October 5 | Check your registration here. Register or update your registration here. |
| Early Voting Period | Wednesday, October 14 - Thursday, October 29 | Find out where and when to early vote. |
| Absentee Ballot Request Deadline | Saturday, October 24 | Download the absentee ballot application here. |
| Election Day | Tuesday, November 3 | Find your Election Day voting location here. |
For more information on voting in Knox County and answers to frequently asked voter questions, click here.
Knox County November 2026 Ballot At-A-Glance
| Ballot Item | Explanation |
| Tennessee Governor | Chief executive of Tennessee, responsible for administering state government, proposing the state budget, signing or vetoing legislation, and overseeing state agencies. |
| United States Senate | Represent the entire state in the U.S. Senate, writing and voting on federal laws, confirming federal appointments and judges, and ratifying treaties. Each state has two Senators. |
| United States House of Representatives, District 2 | Serve a single congressional district in the U.S. House. All of Knox County is in District 2. |
| Tennessee Senate, Districts 5 and 7 | Represent their district in the Tennessee General Assembly, writing and voting on state laws and approving the state budget. |
| Tennessee House of Representatives, Districts 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 89, 90 | Serve their district in the Tennessee House, part of the General Assembly. Not sure which district you live in? Look it up with the Tennessee General Assembly Find My Legislator tool. |
| 3 Proposed Amendments to the Tennessee Constitution | Each is a separate yes-or-no question. A YES vote changes the constitution as described; a NO vote leaves the current constitution unchanged. To pass, an amendment must receive more yes votes than no votes, AND the number of yes votes must be greater than half of all votes cast in the Governor's race - so skipping the Governor's race or the amendments can affect the outcome. |
Who are the Candidates?
| Tennessee Governor | |
| Misam Abidi, Independent Candidate | misamforgovernor.com |
| Marsha Blackburn, Republican Party Nominee | marshablackburn.com |
| Dean Brewer, Independent Candidate | Dean Brewer for Tennessee Governor Facebook |
| Ray Brown, Independent Candidate | Ray Brown for Governor of Tennessee Facebook |
| Jerri Green, Democratic Party Nominee | greenforgovernor.com |
| David Hatley, Independent Candidate | hatleyforgovernor.com |
| Wendell Jackson, Independent Candidate | wendelljackson4tngov2026.com |
| Charles Van Morgan, Independent Candidate | Charles Van Morgan Facebook |
| Eddie Lee Murphy, Independent Candidate | No website found |
| Lauren Pinkston, Independent Candidate | pinkstonfortn.com |
| Victor L. Scoggin, Independent Candidate | captvicscoggin4tngov.us |
| Dave Seeman, Independent Candidate | davefortn.com |
| Karl Knox Smithson, Independent Candidate | No website found |
| L. Webb Taylor, Independent Candidate | No website found |
| Robert C. Vick, Independent Candidate | drvick4tn.com |
| United States Senate | |
| Marquita Bradshaw, Democratic Party Nominee | marquitabradshaw.com |
| Tharon Chandler, Independent Candidate | No website found |
| Andrew Gerena, Independent Candidate | jeranimo4senate.org |
| Bill Hagerty, Republican Party Nominee | teamhagerty.com |
| Jeremy Dean Hearn, Independent Candidate | jeremydeanhearnforsenate.com |
| Robert Jones, Independent Candidate | robertfortn.com |
| James William Macon III, Independent Candidate | James W. Macon III Facebook |
| Yoshi D. Matthews, Independent Candidate | yoshimatthewssenate.com |
| David Sutman, Jr., Independent Candidate | sutmanjr4senate.com |
| Catherine Barcel "Barcy" Whitson, Independent Candidate | senatorbarcy.org |
| United States House of Representatives, District 2 | |
| Michaela Barnett, Democratic Party Nominee | michaelafortennessee.com |
| Tim Burchett, Republican Party Nominee | burchettforcongress.com |
| Bruce Fine, Independent Candidate | fineforcongresstn.com |
| Adam Heimerman, Independent Candidate | vote4heimerman.com |
| Tennessee Senate | |
| District 5 | |
| Jimmy Matlock, Republican Party Nominee | jimmymatlockforstatesenate.com |
| David Miller, Democratic Party Nominee | davidmillerfortennessee.com |
| District 7 | |
| Richard M. Briggs, Republican Party Nominee | briggsforsenate.com |
| Bryan Langan, Democratic Party Nominee | langan4tn.com |
| Tennessee House of Representatives | |
| District 14 | |
| Lindsay Young Honaker, Democratic Party Nominee | lindsayfortennessee.com |
| Jason Zachary, Republican Party Nominee | State Representative Jason Zachary Facebook |
| District 15 | |
| Sam McKenzie, Democratic Party Nominee (uncontested) | mckenziefortn.com |
| District 16 | |
| Eliza Boles, Democratic Party Nominee | elizafortn16.com |
| Michele Carringer, Republican Party Nominee | electmichelecarringer.com |
| District 18 | |
| Elaine Davis, Republican Party Nominee | electelainedavis.com |
| Bryan Goldberg, Democratic Party Nominee | votebryangoldberg.com |
| District 19 | |
| Jenny Fowler, Democratic Party Nominee | jennyfortn.com |
| Dave Wright, Republican Party Nominee | Dave Wright Facebook |
| District 89 | |
| Randy DeBord, Democratic Party Nominee | randydebord.com |
| Justin Lafferty, Republican Party Nominee | voteforlafferty.com |
| District 90 | |
| Gloria Johnson, Democratic Party Nominee (uncontested) | votegloriajohnson.com |
Constitutional Amendments
Read the official ballot questions, summaries, and full text here.
| Amendment 1 — Bail (Article I, Section 15) | |
|
How Things Work Now |
Under the current constitution, everyone charged with a crime has a right to be released on bail before trial, except for people accused of a capital offense (a crime that can carry the death penalty). |
|
What the Amendment Would Do |
Let a judge or magistrate deny bail before trial - keeping the person in jail until their case is resolved - for a specific list of serious charges: a capital offense, an act of terrorism, second-degree murder, aggravated rape of a child, aggravated rape, grave torture, or any offense for which a convicted person could not be released until serving at least 85% of the sentence. In those cases the judge or magistrate would have to state on the record the reasons for granting or denying bail. |
| A YES Vote Would | Allow judges to deny bail before trial for the listed serious offenses. |
|
A NO Vote Would |
Keep the current rule, under which bail can be denied only for capital offenses. |
|
Supporters Say |
Gives judges a tool to keep people accused of the most serious violent crimes from being released before trial, which they argue protects victims and public safety. |
|
Opponents Say |
Erodes the presumption of innocence by holding people who have not been convicted, and could keep more people in jail before trial, raising fairness and jail-population concerns. |
| Amendment 2 — Prohibit a State Property Tax (Article II, Section 28) | |
| How Things Work Now | Tennessee's constitution currently allows, but does not require, the state legislature to tax property. In practice the state has not levied a statewide property tax in more than 75 years. |
| What the Amendment Would Do | Permanently bar the Tennessee General Assembly from levying, authorizing, or otherwise permitting a state tax on real, personal, or mixed property. This applies only to a state-level property tax; it does not change the local (city and county) property taxes that fund local services. |
| A YES Vote Would | Write a permanent ban on a state property tax into the constitution. |
| A NO Vote Would | Keep the current language, which permits but does not require a state property tax. |
| Supporters Say | Locks in a long-standing practice and protects property owners from a future statewide property tax. |
| Opponents Say | The state already doesn't levy such a tax, so a constitutional ban is unnecessary and removes a revenue option future legislatures might need in an emergency. |
| Amendment 3 — Crime Victims' Rights / Marsy's Law (Article I, Section 35) | |
| How Things Work Now | The constitution already lists certain rights for crime victims, added by an amendment voters approved in 1998. |
| What the Amendment Would Do | Replace that section with an expanded list of victims' rights, including: fair treatment; notice of and participation in criminal and juvenile proceedings; participation in parole proceedings; protection from harassment and intimidation; notice of an offender's release or escape; restitution; a speedy resolution of the case; and the right to be told the minimum sentence an offender will serve and the scheduled release date. It would also require that the safety of the victim, the victim's family, and the public be considered before certain parole or release decisions. |
| A YES Vote Would | Add these expanded victims' rights to the state constitution. |
| A NO Vote Would | Keep the current, shorter list of victims' rights already in the constitution. |
| Supporters Say | Victims deserve clear, enforceable constitutional rights and better notice and participation in the process, on par with the attention given to the accused. |
| Opponents Say | The broad language - especially around victim privacy - could limit public access to information and, some defense groups argue, complicate the due-process rights of the accused. |
Nonpartisan Disclaimer: This Voter Guide is provided as a public service to help voters make informed decisions. The League of Women Voters of Knoxville/Knox County does not support or oppose any political party or candidate. Inclusion in this guide does not constitute an endorsement. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy at the time of publication. Voters are encouraged to verify election dates, polling locations, registration status, and other election-related information with the Knox County Election Commission and the Tennessee Secretary of State's Office.