Election Administrators

Tennessee statutes require election commissions to employ an administrator of elections (formerly known as the registrar- at-large), who is the chief administrative officer of the commission and who is responsible for daily operations of the office. The duties of the administrator include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Employment of office personnel;
2. Preparation and presentation of the annual budget;
3. Requisition and purchase of supplies;
4. Maintenance of voter registration files, campaign disclosure records, and other required records;
5. Instruction of poll workers;
6. Preparation of notices for publication;
7. Preparation and maintenance of all fiscal records;
8. Dissemination of information regarding all aspects of the electoral process;
9. Promotion of the electoral process;
10. Attendance at educational seminars;
11. Knowledge of current laws pertaining to the electoral process;
12. Assistance in planning and implementing apportionment plans;
13. Preparation of a plan for placing precinct voting locations and presentation of such plan to the election commission for approval;
14. Preparation of a plan for early voting sites and presentation of such plan to the election commission for approval; and
15. Upon request, assist with redistricting.

T.C.A. § 2-12-201.

In fulfilling these duties, the administrator and election commission must keep in mind that after July 1, 2011, the administrator of elections may not appoint or hire, except in the event of and during an emergency, members of the county election commission, or spouses, parents, brothers, sisters or children, including in-laws of commission members or spouses, parents, brothers, sisters or children, including in-laws of the administrator of elections as deputies, clerical assistants, absentee voting deputies, machine technicians, poll officials or as members of the absentee counting board. T.C.A. §§ 2-12-116, 2-12-201. The election laws also provide for the certification of administrators of elections, T.C.A. § 2-11-202, and for their compensation. T.C.A. §§ 2-12-208, 2-12-209.