About Bennie

Bennie Smith is Secretary of the Tennessee State Election Commission and former Secretary of the Shelby County Election Commission. Appointed to the Shelby County Election Commission in 2019 and to the Tennessee State Election Commission in 2022, he represents the citizens of West Tennessee with a focus on transparency, accountability, and open government. In his state role, he participates in oversight of county election commissions and helps ensure compliance with election law and ethical standards.

Smith currently serves as Motor Vehicle Registration Administrator for the Shelby County Clerk’s Office, overseeing the county’s largest operational division. He manages teams responsible for motor vehicle and title services and works on policy review, process improvement, and operational efficiency to improve service delivery and public experience.

Smith built much of his career in the private sector, holding senior analytics and development roles at ABB and Thomas & Betts. His work supported large-scale financial and operational initiatives involving sales allocation, inventory oversight, and performance reporting, contributing to recovered revenue, cost savings, and stronger organizational accountability.

A software developer by training, Smith founded Smartsoft, a consulting firm providing analytics, technology, and strategic insight to a wide range of clients. He previously served as Head of Data Analytics and Finance at Normac Media Group, overseeing royalty accounting and helping creators better understand monetization through data-driven insights.

Smith is widely recognized for his work in election integrity and system transparency. He serves on the Technical Advisory Team for SMART Elections and has advised candidates across nearly every elected office in Shelby County. His research has been featured in Bloomberg Businessweek, PBS, and USA Today, referenced in congressional hearings, and presented to election officials nationwide.

Across government, finance, technology, and elections, Smith’s work reflects a consistent approach: applying accountability, discipline, and measurable outcomes to systems that serve the public and require trust.

Bennie Smith is Secretary of the Tennessee State Election Commission and former Secretary of the Shelby County Election Commission. Appointed to the Shelby County Election Commission in April 2019 and to the Tennessee State Election Commission in April 2022, he represents West Tennessee with a focus on transparency, accountability, and open government. In his state leadership role, he monitors county commission performance, evaluates compliance with statutory and ethical requirements, and participates in oversight actions when violations of the oath of office occur.

Smith currently serves as Motor Vehicle Registration Administrator for the Shelby County Clerk’s Office, overseeing the county’s largest operational division. He leads policy analysis, operational review, and process improvement initiatives designed to strengthen controls, streamline procedures, and improve customer experience at scale.

At ABB and Thomas & Betts, Smith developed applications that transformed more than 100 million records into reporting models, supported allocation of more than $2 billion in sales, automated commission distribution, and produced inventory analytics identifying over $20 million in excess/obsolete inventory, recovering approximately $10 million in revenue. Applying Lean and Six Sigma, his initiatives also uncovered more than $1 million in freight savings and $60 million in pricing variance opportunities.

Earlier roles include revenue management and forecasting applications at Hilton Worldwide, operational metrics at International Paper, and lender auditing systems at First Tennessee Bank. His public-sector experience includes serving as a software developer for the City of Memphis, acting as a liaison between elected officials and IT while maintaining applications for the Traffic Violations Bureau, Memphis Police Department, and Internal Affairs.

Smith is the founder of Smartsoft, providing software development, analytics, personal finance counsel, and political strategy using predictive analytics methods to forecast turnout. He is a former Head of Data Analytics and Finance at Normac Media Group, where he managed royalty accounting and payment systems and supported creators with data-driven insights on monetization.

Smith serves on the Technical Advisory Team for SMART Elections and has advised candidates across nearly every elected office in Shelby County. His election system vulnerability research, including work with Black Box Voting, was featured in Bloomberg cybersecurity coverage and on the cover of Bloomberg Businessweek. His work has been referenced in congressional hearings, presented to Secretaries of State and members of Congress, and cited as foundational to the Ballot Images Project.