Editor’s note: This story is free to all readers as a public service from The Daily Memphian.

Shelby County voters are going to the polls for the third and final time in 2026.

This cycle, much of who and what you’re choosing depends on where you live. But every Shelby Countyan’s ballot includes the races for governor, a Senator, a Congressman and a state representative, as well as three state constitutional amendments.

The Daily Memphian’s voter guide should provide you with everything you need for the ‘who.’ Here’s a rundown to help you with the what, when and where.

What’s on my ballot?

That largely depends on where you live. 

The Shelby County Election Commission has a sample ballot on its website that includes all possible races for everyone who lives in Shelby County. But if you live Downtown, you won’t see the Bartlett mayor’s race when you step into the voting booth.

There are no county elected officials on this ballot, and no City of Memphis-elected officials either.

However, city residents will see three charter referendum ordinances (or changes to the city charter) on their ballots. 

State Constitutional amendments are also on the ballot for all state residents.

Read more about those here.

The top of the ticket is the governor’s race followed by: state Constitutional amendments; U.S. Senate; U.S. House of Representatives; state Senate; state House; various suburban races; and three city charter referendum ordinances.

Didn’t my Congressional district change?

You may be voting in a different U.S. Congressional district than you did two years ago. In May, the Tennessee General Assembly redrew the state’s congressional boundaries, splitting Memphis among three districts when it was previously covered by two. 

To find out which district you live in, use the Election Commission’s locator, which shows the districts specific to the address where you’re registered to vote. (Alternatively, you can use the state’s voter registration lookup tool to find the same information.)

You will also find your state House district, which will help you know who you’ll see on your ballot for state representative. (Every voter has one.) You also could have a state senator on your ballot; two of the five state senate districts that cover Shelby County are on the ballot this cycle.

When and where do I vote?

If voting early, you can cast your ballot Oct. 14-29 at any of the 26 early voting sites across the county regardless of where you live or the precinct where you’re registered to vote. Early voting is open Monday-Saturday, closed on Sundays.

Times vary slightly, but generally, polls are open weekdays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. On Saturday, Oct. 17, early voting is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and on Saturday, Oct. 24, polls open at 8 a.m. View the full list of locations and schedule here.

If voting on Election Day — Tuesday, Nov. 3 — you must vote at the precinct where you’re registered to vote. (Again, you can use the Election Commission’s district locator OR the state’s voter registration lookup tool to find your polling location and districts.)

On Election Day, the polls in Shelby County are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

About absentees

Absentee voters and overseas military personnel have already been receiving ballots. The last day to request an absentee ballot is Oct. 24. 

The Election Commission must receive completed absentee ballots from voters — by mail only — by the 7 p.m. poll-closing time on Nov. 3. State law requires absentee ballots be delivered by mail; hand delivery is not allowed. 

Absentee ballots that arrive at the Election Commission after Election Day will not count — regardless of the postmark date.

There is also a state law that seems to prevent The Daily Memphian from linking to the absentee ballot application itself.

This is the wording near the bottom of the absentee ballot application: “A person who is not an employee of an Election Commission commits a Class E felony if such person gives an application for an absentee ballot to any person (T.C.A. § 2-6-202 (c) (3); adopted 1979; amended 1994).”

So here is a link to the page that has a link to the request form, which is a little tricky to spot. Look toward the bottom of the page and the words ‘fillable application’ are in maroon type under a ‘notice to voters’ paragraph in red type.

This might sound obvious, but ...

If you vote early or absentee, do not vote on Election Day.

The electronic poll books at each Election Day precinct are checked to see, among other things, if you have already voted.

Also, if your ballot doesn’t match what you see in the district locator immediately notify a poll worker. Don’t vote before alerting a worker of the problem.

There was a problem with missing races in the August election.

What do I need, and what can I expect?