Justices overturn Tennessee mail vote expansion for November

The Tennessee Supreme Court has overturned the option for all eligible voters to vote by mail in November due to COVID-19. Wednesday’s ruling nixes a June expansion order by a lower court that state election officials opposed. The decision was made on the same day voters could begin requesting absentee ballots for the general election.
It restores Tennessee’s excuse-based system for November, with COVID-19 related additions that include underlying health conditions for voters and those in their care. The justices wrote the decision doesn’t impact ballots for today’s (August 6) primary. Only a handful of states are not offering by-mail voting for everyone during the pandemic, though two-thirds of states allowed the practice before it.