Sheriff (I) files lawsuit after POST deadline missed amid disputed election guidance
LYNCHBURG, Tenn. — A lawsuit filed in Moore County Chancery Court could determine whether incumbent Sheriff Tyler Hatfield appears on the August 6, 2026 general election ballot.
Hatfield has filed a verified petition for a writ of mandamus asking the court to order the Tennessee Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) Commission to certify him for the ballot and to require the Moore County Election Commission to place his name on it. A proposed order submitted alongside the petition asks the court to act quickly, citing time-sensitive ballot deadlines.
A writ of mandamus is a court order that tells a government official or agency to do something the law requires them to do. It is not used to punish someone. It is not used to award money. Instead, it is used when someone believes a public official has failed to perform a required duty.
Today’s petition has two parts. One directs POST to qualify Hatfield to run for sheriff and the second part is a mandamus order instructing election officials to include him by name on the August ballot. POST has until next Wednesday to ask for a show-cause hearing to object to today’s ruling. The following week the local Election Commissioner will have a similar show-cause hearing.
https://thelynchburgtimes.com/elections-2026-hatfield-lawsuit/