(1) The board of election commissioners is hereby authorized and empowered to employ and set or determine the duties of and determine the compensation of such investigators, legal counsel, secretaries, technical advisors and any other employees or persons who or which the board or a majority thereof may deem necessary to enable them to discharge the duties and obligations presently or hereafter vested in them. However, before employing such persons or setting or determining the compensation, the election commissioners must first have the approval of the board of supervisors of the county.

(2) The board of supervisors of the county is authorized and empowered to pay out of the general fund of the county the salaries and necessary traveling and subsistence expenses of the employees of the board of election commissioners in such amounts as may be mutually agreed upon by the board of supervisors and board of election commissioners, but which shall be computed on the same basis allowed to state employees when traveling on state business. All expense accounts of the employees of the board of election commissioners shall be approved by the board of election commissioners and the board of supervisors or, in the discretion of each of the boards, by one (1) of the members of each of the boards duly authorized by the respective boards to approve or disapprove the subsistence, traveling and mileage expense accounts.

(3) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit a person who holds the office of election commissioner from being employed and receiving compensation pursuant to this section. Any compensation which such a person may receive from his or her employment pursuant to this section shall be in addition to any compensation that person may receive in performing his or her duties as an election commissioner.