Use of State-Owned Property for Campaign Advertising or Activities

  1. Law
  2. Tennessee Code
  3. Elections
  4. Prohibited Practices
  5. Offenses by Public Officers and Employees (“Little Hatch Act”)
  6. Use of State-Owned Property for Campaign Advertising or Activities

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  1. It is unlawful for any elected or appointed official of the state, or any employee of the state or any department, division or agency thereof, to display campaign literature, banners, placards, streamers, stickers, signs or other items of campaign or political advertising on behalf of any party, committee or agency or candidate for political office, on the premises of any building or land owned by the state, or to use any of the facilities of the state, including equipment and vehicles, for such purposes.
  2. It is unlawful to use public buildings or facilities for meetings or preparation of campaign activity in support of any particular candidate, party or measure unless reasonably equal opportunity is provided for presentation of all sides or views, or reasonably equal access to the buildings or facilities is provided all sides.
  3. This section shall not be construed to prohibit an employee from displaying a decal or bumper stickers on the employee's personal vehicle while parked on state property.
    1. Subsections (a), (b), and (c) shall not apply to teachers.
    2. It is unlawful for any teacher to display campaign literature, banners, placards, streamers, stickers, signs, or other items of campaign or political advertising on behalf of any party, committee or agency, or candidate for partisan or nonpartisan public office elected by the people, on the premises of any building or land owned by a local education agency (LEA), or to use any of the facilities of the LEA, including equipment and vehicles, for such purposes. This subdivision (d)(2) does not apply to the display of campaign banners, placards, streamers, stickers, signs, or other items of campaign or political advertising on LEA-owned property or the use of LEA equipment, when the display or use is a part of and solely for the purpose of the LEA's program of student education relative to the electoral process. Except for the use of LEA-owned equipment and vehicles, this subdivision (d)(2) does not apply to a teacher during hours in which the teacher is not performing school duties.
    3. This subsection (d) shall not be construed to prohibit any teacher from displaying a decal or bumper sticker on the teacher's personal vehicle while the vehicle is parked on LEA property.


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