Photo Caption: “Tennessee Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins (far left) and TN Secretary of State Tre Hargett (far right) join Marion County Election Commissioners Russ Hood, Rhkisha Whisnant, Anita Tipton, and Vanessa Blevins during a recent legislative update meeting.”
Nearly 300 election officials from across Tennessee gathered in Nashville on Monday, June 23, for the annual Election Law Seminar hosted by Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett and the Division of Elections. This crucial training event comes as Tennessee celebrates being ranked #1 in the nation for election integrity for the fourth consecutive year by The Heritage Foundation.
Representatives from all corners of the state, including Marion County Election Commissioners Russ Hood, Anita Tipton, Vanessa Blevins and Rhkisha Whisnant, attended the seminar, underscoring a shared commitment to protecting the integrity and security of Tennessee’s electoral process.
“The dedication and hard work of our local election officials are the backbone of Tennessee’s success,” said Secretary Hargett. “Thanks to their efforts, Tennesseans can have confidence in a voting process that makes it easy to vote and hard to cheat. This seminar equips our officials with the tools and knowledge needed to uphold our high standards heading into the 2026 election cycle.”
Russ Hood, the current Chair of the Marion County Commission Board, said, “We’re committed to making sure everyone associated with the {Marion County} Commission Office stays informed on state a federal legislative change in the law.” Hood went on to say, “It helps us stay agile enough to solve real-world problems and exchange best practices with other election officers from across the state.”
- During the daylong seminar, participants engaged in hands-on training sessions covering a wide range of topics, including:
- Best practices for maintaining accurate voter rolls
- Updates to ethics and campaign finance laws
- Strategic election planning and emergency preparedness
- Duties and responsibilities of election commissioners
One highlight of the seminar was a tabletop exercise which challenged teams of election officials to respond to real-life scenarios such as natural disasters or cybersecurity threats. These simulations fostered collaboration and problem-solving, ensuring Tennessee’s election administrators are prepared for any challenge.
Tennessee’s continued national leadership in election integrity reflects its investment in training, transparency, and innovation at every level of election administration.
For reliable election information and to learn more about how Tennessee is setting the standard for election integrity, visit GoVoteTN.gov.
