Memphis is a city full of creativity, excellence, opportunity, and generosity – values we see every day in our communities. But those values don’t just sustain themselves. They show up in our schools, neighborhoods, and public services when we choose to show up, too.
Each of us holds power – whether through our vote, our work, our voice as students, or our roles in business and community life. When we use that power together, we help shape a Memphis that truly reflects what we care about.
Local elected officials make hundreds of decisions every year that directly impact our daily lives – from budgets to policies that shape our neighborhoods. And in local elections, YOUR voice carries even more weight. In a county of roughly 600,000 registered voters, every single vote – including YOURS! – matters in a very real way.
The May 5th election is the County Primary – a critical step where candidates are chosen to move forward to the General Election in August. What happens in this stage helps determine the candidate choices we’ll have later.
So don’t leave it to chance – make a plan to vote today!
Step 1: Check Your Registration Status and Voter District
Are you one of the 600,000 voters in Shelby County? Not sure? No worries – check your status here. Registering online is easy and only takes a few minutes.
If you did not register by April 6th, sadly you won’t be able to vote in the May 5th Primary. However, you can go ahead and register now so you can be ready for the August 6th Election!
Step 2: See Who’s On the Ballot
The May 5th County Primary Election includes the County Mayor, Country Commissioners Districts 1-13, County Sheriff, Memphis-Shelby County School Board Positions 1, 6, 8 & 9, County Clerk, various Court Clerks positions, and more!
Don’t know where to start your research? Here are some unbiased resources to get you started!
- Informed Voter | Memphis Public Libraries
- Our amazing Memphis Public Libraries has a “Meet The Candidates” page with links to official campaign websites that include candidate details and campaign Facebook pages.
- Questions for the Candidates | MLK50 and The Memphis Flyer
- Shelby County mayoral hopefuls have answers to your pressing queries
- Candidate Questionnaires and Profiles | The Commercial Appeal
- The CA team has published an in-depth compilation of questionnaire responses, profiles, and coverage from candidates forum.
Step 3: Make Your Voting Plan
Let’s map it out:
- When will you be voting?
- Where will you be voting?
- And who are you going with?
Here’s what you need to know:
- Early Voting: Wednesday, April 15 – Thursday, April 30, 2026
- A perk of early voting, is you can go to any location to cast your ballot! Take a look at the Early Voting locations and times here!
- Absentee Ballot Request Deadline: Tuesday April 25, 2026
- The deadline is soon, so be sure to submit your request today.
- Election Day: May 5, 2026, 7am-7pm
- Remember, if you decide to vote on Election Day, you must go to your assigned precinct, which you can find here.
Rides to the Polls
If you need a ride to the polls, you can call this NAACP Hotline to request a ride from a volunteer. You can also call the line to let them know you want to sign-up to give rides to voters.
- NAACP Ride to the Poll Number: 901-521-1343
Step 4: Spread the word!
The best part of voting is getting others to vote with you! You can do so by sharing this page with your friends and loved ones. Ready to go a step further and connect with even more voters? Check out these essential upcoming voter engagement events!
- Meet the Mayoral Candidates at the AKA- BEO Candidates Forum | April 25
- Vote with your Neighbors at the Immigrants Vote Together Poll Party | April 25
- Volunteer for Door to Door Canvassing | May 2 and 5
Done!
That’s all there is to it. To lift up our shared values, we need elected leaders who will infuse those values in every decision they make and we can make that happen at the ballot box.
Election Protection Information
If you or someone you know, or if you see someone else experiencing a voting issue, report it to the Election Protection Hotline. Any reports from Tennessee will be directed to Organize Tennessee, who will work with partners and a team of pro-bono lawyers to review and address issues in real time.
The hotline is also available in Spanish, Asian Languages, and Arabic:
- English: 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683)
- Spanish: 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (1-888-839-8682)
- Asian Languages: 1-888-API-VOTE (1-888-274-8683)
- Arabic: 1-844-YALLA-US (1-844-925-5287)
You can also contact Disability Rights Tennessee at 1-800-342-1660 to report any disability-related voting issues. The Election Protection Hotline will have different operating hours each day, so if someone does not answer immediately, please leave a message and a legal volunteer will call you back as soon as possible.
See you at the polls!
