1) Fill out the “Certificate of Write-In Candidacy”

2) Submit along with the Certificate a list of 11 electors pledged to the candidate. The list has to include electors’ names and addresses. 9 of the electors have to be one from each of Tennessee’s 9 congressional districts, and 2 can be “at large”. The filing window for this information is between August 22 – September 15.

The reason why the Tennessee State Election Commission does not make all of this information available on their website is because they consider this form of running for president a last resort for independent candidates who do not simply get themselves on the ballot by getting 275 signatures in Tennessee.

There is a process to obtaining the signatures, detailed below:

An independent presidential candidate must choose eleven (11) electors. For each of the nine congressional districts in Tennessee, one (1) elector will be elected who is a resident of the congressional district. Two (2) additional electors will be elected who may be residents of any part of the state. TCA §§2-15-101 and 2-15-102.

One nominating petition will be issued to the presidential candidate. The candidate must obtain the signatures and addresses of at least two hundred seventy-five (275) voters registered anywhere within the State of Tennessee. At the time of filing the nominating petition, the candidate must also file the names, addresses, and signatures of the vice-presidential candidate and the eleven electors who have agreed to represent the presidential candidate. Petitions may be obtained no more than 90 days before the qualifying deadline date (first date to obtain petition is May 23, 2008) from the office of the Coordinator of Elections. The filing deadline for petitions is 12:00 NOON, Central time, on the third Thursday in August (August 21, 2008). TCA §2-5-101(a). The original petition must be filed with the State Election Commission and a certified duplicate with the Coordinator of Elections. A certified duplicate is a photocopy of the original petition on which the candidate or the person making the copy writes “This is a true copy of the original” along with the candidate’s or copier’s signature. Both the original and certified copy shall be submitted to the following address:

Division of Elections
312 Rosa L. Parks Ave.
9th Floor, William R. Snodgrass Tower
Nashville, Tennessee 37243