If a county operates its elections through a combined election and registration commission, the structure and composition are not affected or changed by the provisions of this section. However, the provisions for inclusion of majority and minority party representatives upon the combined commission and upon the expanded commission as constituted for primary elections and protests must be applied to the combined commission, mutatis mutandis.

Commissioners and such staff as designated by the commission must complete, within eighteen months after their appointment or reappointment, a training and certification program conducted by the State Election Commission. Following initial certification, each commission member and staff person designated by the commission must take at least one training course each year.