Nominating petitions must be signed by the candidate and 25 or more registered voters eligible to vote for the office the candidate is seeking. T.C.A. § 2-5-101(b)(1). Such petitions may not be issued more than 90 days before the qualifying deadline. T.C.A. § 2-5-102 (b)(5).

The county election commission office is required to furnish nominating petition forms for municipal elections. T.C.A. § 2-5-102(b)(1). Candidates in a city that lies in two or more counties must file their original nominating petitions with the chairperson or administrator of elections in the county where the city hall is located. They also must file certified duplicates of the petition with the commissions of all the counties in which the city lies. T.C.A. § 2-5-104.

If candidates miss a filing deadline or if their petitions do not contain the signatures and home addresses of at least 25 registered voters eligible to vote for the offices the candidates are seeking, their names may not be printed on the ballot. T.C.A. § 2-5-101(c).

T.C.A. § 2-5-101 and T.C.A. § 2-2-204 provide procedures for qualifying additional candidates if another candidate is nominated but dies or withdraws before the election.