Resolution Criteria
This market will resolve to “Yes” if Tennessee enacts a law or adopts a constitutional provision making electrocution its default method of execution between market creation and December 31, 2026, 11:59 PM ET. Otherwise, this market will resolve to “No”.
Making electrocution the default means replacing lethal injection with electrocution as the generally prescribed method of execution under Tennessee Code Annotated § 40-23-114, or a successor or superseding legal provision. Electrocution must become the method ordinarily required, subject to specific legal exceptions. Establishing electrocution as the default only for a limited category of inmates or offenses will not qualify. Making electrocution and lethal injection equally available options, without establishing electrocution as the default, will not qualify.
The existing provisions permitting eligible inmates to elect electrocution or requiring electrocution when statutory fallback conditions are met will not qualify. Activation of those fallback provisions, including a certification by the Commissioner of Correction under § 40-23-114(e), will not qualify even if it results in electrocution being used statewide. Expanding the availability of electrocution as an optional or fallback method will not qualify unless the enacted measure also establishes it as the default.
Executive or administrative actions under existing law, official announcements, and the scheduling or carrying out of executions by electrocution will not independently qualify. A qualifying law or constitutional provision must be enacted or adopted.
Enactment or adoption occurs when the measure becomes law under Tennessee’s constitution and laws, including through gubernatorial signature, veto override, becoming law without signature, or another legally sufficient enactment or constitutional-adoption process. Bill introduction, legislative passage short of enactment, proposals to amend the constitution, and announced intentions to approve a measure will not qualify.
This market resolves based on the date of qualifying enactment or adoption, regardless of when the measure takes effect, including if its effective date falls after the market deadline. Subsequent failure to implement the measure, judicial invalidation, repeal, rescission, or expiry will not affect resolution. No execution by electrocution is required.
The primary resolution source for this market will be official information from the state government of Tennessee, including the Tennessee General Assembly and the Office of the Governor; however, a consensus of credible reporting may also be used.
