Qualifications and Disqualifications

County election commissioners must be registered voters who have been residents of the state for five years and residents of the county for which they are appointed for two years (with an exception for counties with a population between 276,000 and 277,000).  Elected officials, employees of elected officials and employees of a state, county, municipal, or federal government body or agency are not eligible to serve on the election commission. However, this statute does not disqualify the following people: a notary public, employees of county or city school systems who do not work directly under the supervision of an elected official, or a member of a reserve unit of the U. S. armed services or National Guard, unless on active duty. T.C.A. § 2-1-112. If a county election commissioner qualifies as a candidate for any public office, that member will be automatically disqualified and a vacancy will be created on the commission. T.C.A. § 2-12-102.