NASHVILLE, Tenn. — In a victory for voting rights, a Tennessee court has ruled the state must make absentee voting available to every eligible voter for all elections in 2020, including the August 6 primary and November 3 general election.

The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Tennessee, and Dechert LLP were in court yesterday seeking the order due to the highly contagious and deadly COVID-19 outbreak and the risks it poses to many voters.

While most states allow any eligible voter to cast an absentee ballot, Tennessee requires voters to provide an “excuse” to do so from a very narrow list of criteria; practicing social distancing measures and/or self-quarantining was not included, meaning the vast majority of voters would have been forced to vote in person — or avoid voting at all for fear of becoming ill, disenfranchising thousands.

This ruling eliminates the excuse requirement for the 2020 elections, meaning Tennesseans will not have to risk their health in order to vote,” said Dale Ho, director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project.

The court also ordered the state to provide guidance instructing local election officials to issue absentee ballots to all eligible voters for the primary, and conduct a public information campaign informing voters about the elimination of the excuse requirement at this time.