NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Secretary of State Tre Hargett celebrates National Voter Registration Month by continuing to lead voter registration efforts in Tennessee through the College Voter Registration Competition, the Anne Dallas Dudley Award for high schools and working with businesses and organizations across the state through the Secretary of State’s Your Vote Matters program.

“It’s never been easier to register to vote in Tennessee,” said Secretary Hargett. “Registering to vote is the first step to making your voice heard at the polls. That's why during National Voter Registration Month and throughout the year, my office leads voter registration efforts to help every eligible Tennessean get registered to vote so they are ready to cast a ballot on Election Day.”

During September, all 2- and 4-year colleges and universities in Tennessee can participate in the Secretary of State’s 2023 Tennessee College Voter Registration Competition. Schools will compete by creating a voter registration campaign for their campus, promoting voter registration on social media and registering students to vote.

The Secretary of State’s office helps Tennessee students register to vote and be engaged voters in our election process through its civic engagement programs such as the 2023 Anne Dallas Dudley Award. Named in honor of renowned Tennessee suffragist, the Anne Dallas Dudley Gold Level Award is given to high schools that register 100% of the eligible students to vote. High schools that register at least 85% of the eligible students earn the Anne Dallas Dudley Silver Level Award.

This fall, students will have the opportunity to learn about the importance of civic engagement through the Secretary of State’s Civics Essay Content. The Secretary of State’s office also offers free lesson plans that are created by Tennessee teachers to assist schools with civic engagement and citizenship curriculum. Learn more about the Secretary of State’s civic engagement education efforts at sos.tn.gov/civics.

The Secretary of State’s office is the source Tennesseans can trust for accurate election information. As part of the Your Vote Matters program, the Secretary of State’s office provides corporate and community organizations across the state with accurate voter registration and election information to share with their employees, customers and communities.

More than 500 businesses, chambers and organizations are part of the Your Vote Matters program, including AARP Tennessee, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Memphis Grizzlies, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, Nashville Predators, Tennessee Business Roundtable, Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Tennessee Grocers & Convenience Store Association, United Ways of Tennessee and Volkswagen Group of America Chattanooga Operations, LLC. Any Tennessee business or organization can join Your Vote Matters by registering on GoVoteTN.gov.

Tennessee is ranked number one in the nation for election integrity by the Heritage Foundation. The Secretary of State’s office works with county election officials across the state to ensure Tennesseans can trust the integrity of the ballot box.

“Our office works with election officials across the state each day to make sure Tennesseans can easily register to vote and cast a ballot while protecting the integrity of our elections,” said Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins. “Election officials across the state are proud of how easy it is to register to vote and the number one in the nation election integrity ranking.”

Registering to vote, updating your address or checking your registration status is fast, easy and secure with the Secretary of State's online voter registration system, GoVoteTN.gov. Using a computer, phone or tablet, any U.S. citizen with a driver's license or a photo ID issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security can register in minutes. A paper voter registration application is also available to download at GoVoteTN.gov.

National Voter Registration Month is a nonpartisan effort encouraging all eligible voters to register and participate in the electoral process.

For the latest details about the Secretary of State’s National Voter Registration Month activities, follow these social media channels X, formerly known as Twitter: @tnsecofstate, Facebook: Tennessee Secretary of State and Instagram: @tnsecofstate.

For more information about registering to vote in Tennessee, go to GoVoteTN.gov or call the Division of Elections toll-free at 1-877-850-4959.