---
type: "Bill"
title: "Election Laws - As enacted, revises various provisions governing elections, including provisions regarding ballot stubs and persons serving as election officials. - Amends TCA Title 2 and Title 40."
description: "Election Laws - As enacted, revises various provisions governing elections, including provisions regarding ballot stubs and persons serving as election officials. - Amends TCA Title 2 and Title 40."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tn"
legislature: "Tennessee General Assembly"
session: "111"
identifier: "SB 2297"
citation: "Tennessee SB 2297 (111)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Election Laws"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Carter", "Gardenhire"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 38
vote_count: 7
first_action: "2020-02-04"
last_action: "2020-04-06"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/7463d49a-9871-4340-9852-6220c55603f5"
source_url: "http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=SB2297&GA=111"
source_hash: "07e67e689fcd48e3e5cad10024ea9f18ca6778e81c56de74a11a5b04ef1a19c4"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-tn"]
---

# Tennessee SB 2297 (111) — Election Laws - As enacted, revises various provisions governing elections, including provisions regarding ballot stubs and persons serving as election officials. - Amends TCA Title 2 and Title 40.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Amendment HA0668** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/111/Amend/HA0668.pdf)
2. **Amendment SA0649** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/111/Amend/SA0649.pdf)
3. **Amendment SA0659** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/111/Amend/SA0659.pdf)
4. **Current Version** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/111/Bill/SB2297.pdf)

## Votes

- HOUSE LOCAL COMMITTEE: Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee 3/18/2020 — **0–0** (pass) · lower
- SENATE STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE: Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 8, Nays 0 PNV 1 3/18/2020 Passed — **8–0** (pass) · upper
- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 3/19/2020 Passed (1) — **91–0** (pass) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: Third Consideration 3/19/2020 Passed (1) — **24–2** (pass) · upper
- FLOOR VOTE: Motion to Adopt Date Certain 3/19/2020 Failed — **8–22** (fail) · upper
- HOUSE CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE: H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/19/2020 3/18/2020 (2) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: Motion to Adopt Amend# 2 by Dickerson 3/19/2020 Failed — **9–20** (fail) · upper

## Sponsors

- Carter — primary (person)
- Gardenhire — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2020-02-04** Filed for introduction `reading-1, introduction`
- **2020-02-04** Filed for introduction `reading-1, introduction`
- **2020-02-05** Intro., P1C. `introduction`
- **2020-02-06** Introduced, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2020-02-06** P2C, ref. to Local Committee `referral-committee`
- **2020-02-10** Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee
- **2020-02-10** Assigned to s/c Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2020-03-04** Placed on s/c cal Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee for 3/11/2020
- **2020-03-11** Placed on cal. Local Committee for 3/18/2020
- **2020-03-11** Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Local Committee `referral-committee`
- **2020-03-16** Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/17/2020
- **2020-03-16** Rule #83(8) Suspended, to be heard in S. S&L Govt. Comm 3/17/20
- **2020-03-17** Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/18/2020
- **2020-03-17** Rule #83(8) Suspended, to be heard in S. S&L Govt. Comm.
- **2020-03-17** Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 3/18/2020
- **2020-03-18** Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/19/2020
- **2020-03-18** Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 8, Nays 0 PNV 1
- **2020-03-18** H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/19/2020
- **2020-03-18** Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/18/2020
- **2020-03-18** Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2020-03-18** Placed on cal. Local Committee for 3/18/2020
- **2020-03-19** Companion House Bill substituted
- **2020-03-19** Passed Senate, Ayes 24, Nays 2, PNV 2 `passage`
- **2020-03-19** Failed to adopt, Ayes 9, Nays 20 (Amendment 2 - SA0659)
- **2020-03-19** Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA0649)
- **2020-03-19** Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.
- **2020-03-19** Received from House, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2020-03-19** Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.
- **2020-03-19** Passed H., as am., Ayes 91, Nays 0, PNV 0 `passage`
- **2020-03-19** H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0668) `amendment-passage`
- **2020-03-20** Signed by H. Speaker
- **2020-03-20** Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.
- **2020-03-24** Transmitted to Governor for his action. `executive-receipt`
- **2020-03-24** Signed by Senate Speaker
- **2020-04-02** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2020-04-06** Comp. became Pub. Ch. 655
- **2020-04-06** Pub. Ch. 655
- **2020-04-06** Effective date(s) 04/02/2020

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/7463d49a-9871-4340-9852-6220c55603f5`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).