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:
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.