Senate Passes Bill to Stop Illegal Immigrants From Voting in TN

Image Credit: capitol.tn.gov

The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn] –

Tennessee State Senators voted Monday to keep illegal immigrants from voting in any elections held in the state. 

Senate Bill 2245, sponsored by Senator Joey Hensley (R-Hohenwald-District 28), as introduced, expressly prohibits non-US citizens from voting in federal, state, or local elections in this state. It also prohibits local governments from granting non-citizens the right to vote in local elections. Additionally, it prescribes other mechanisms for ensuring the integrity of elections in this state.

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On March 3, the House passed the companion House Bill 2128 with a unanimous vote of 92-0. 

In the Senate assembly on Monday, Senators moved to substitute and conform to the House bill. They adopted an amendment that would remove sections 5 and 6 from the bill. 

The deleted sections read as follows:

Section 5: Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-7-116(a)(2), is amended by deleting the subdivision and substituting: (2) The officer of elections shall keep a record of each such declaration, including the name of the voter and of the person marking the ballot, reason for assistance, and, if marked by a judge, the name of the judge or other official in whose presence the ballot was marked. The record must be certified and kept with the poll books on forms to be provided by the coordinator of elections.

Section 6: Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-7-116(b)(2), is amended by deleting the subdivision and substituting: (2) The officer of elections shall keep a record of each such declaration, including the name of the voter and of the person marking the ballot, reason for assistance, and, if marked by a judge, the name of the judge or other official in whose presence the ballot was marked. The record must be certified and kept with the poll books on forms to be provided by the coordinator of elections.

With a vote of 26 ayes and 5 nays, the bill was passed as amended. Those voting against the bill were Democratic Senators Raumesh Akbari, Heidi Campbell, Brenda Gilmore, London Lamar, and Jeff Yarbro.

About the Author: Jason Vaughn, Media Coordinator for The Tennessee Conservative  ~ Jason previously worked for a legacy publishing company based in Crossville, TN in a variety of roles through his career.  Most recently, he served as Deputy Director for their flagship publication. Prior, he was a freelance journalist writing articles that appeared in the Herald Citizen, the Crossville Chronicle and The Oracle among others.  He graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a Bachelor’s in English-Journalism, with minors in Broadcast Journalism and History.  Contact Jason at news@TennesseeConservativeNews.com