(a) The coordinator of elections, in collaboration with the Tennessee bureau of investigation (TBI), shall, prior to January 1, 2028, create a secure, electronic portal through which each county administrator of elections may access information to verify, prior to processing an applicant's application to register to vote, whether the applicant is ineligible to vote based upon records on file as the result of a Tennessee felony conviction, or alternatively, whether a person is eligible to vote.
(b) In carrying out subsection (a), the coordinator of elections and TBI:(1) Shall identify the parameters of information of a person to register to vote that may be submitted and received through the portal by an administrator;(2) Shall ensure that, upon submission of such information by an administrator, the administrator receives accurate and current information regarding the eligibility status of the person without undue delay;(3) Shall ensure that the portal has the capacity to respond to a high volume of daily submissions of information by administrators across this state as specified by the coordinator of elections; and(4) May develop a temporary alternative method for the verification of eligibility by an administrator in the event that the portal is offline, inaccessible, malfunctioning, or undergoing maintenance.
(1) Shall identify the parameters of information of a person to register to vote that may be submitted and received through the portal by an administrator;
(2) Shall ensure that, upon submission of such information by an administrator, the administrator receives accurate and current information regarding the eligibility status of the person without undue delay;
(3) Shall ensure that the portal has the capacity to respond to a high volume of daily submissions of information by administrators across this state as specified by the coordinator of elections; and
(4) May develop a temporary alternative method for the verification of eligibility by an administrator in the event that the portal is offline, inaccessible, malfunctioning, or undergoing maintenance.
(c) If a county administrator rejects an application based upon information received pursuant to this section, the administrator shall provide written notice to the applicant of the applicant's right to appeal the decision in accordance with § 2-2-125.
(d) Any county administrator who accesses the portal for a purpose other than verifying a person's eligibility to register to vote or to vote shall lose access to the portal. In consultation with the coordinator of elections, access may be reinstated at the discretion of the bureau.