Secretary of State
The Basics
Almost every state and US territory has a Secretary of State, and in 35 of those states it’s an elected position voted on by all the state’s voters. The Secretary of State is an important leader in your state government – in most states, they’re in the gubernatorial line of succession, meaning they are one of the people who could become Acting Governor if your Governor resigns, dies, or can’t do the job for any other reason.
The responsibilities of a Secretary of State can vary a lot depending on where you live, but the most common job they have is acting as your state’s chief elections official – if your Secretary of State has this power, it makes them one of the most important people in the state! Because they enforce voting and elections rules, and help local elections officials do their jobs, the Secretary of State has the power to make voting and running for office easier or more difficult.
Here are some of the other responsibilities your Secretary of State might have:
- Overseeing your state’s Address Confidentiality program
Most states have a program like this, and it’s a crucial resource for survivors of domestic violence and other people who might need their personal information kept out of public records for safety reasons - Resources for businesses
Enforcing business rules, registering trademarks, keeping business records, and chartering businesses, partnerships, and corporations - Keeping all kinds of official records
This can include vital records like birth, death, and marriage certificates; land transactions and property ownership records; and a lot more - Issuing professional licenses
If you want to go into a career that requires a license, this office is often in charge of the process for getting that license - Issuing driver’s licenses and state IDs
As you can see, this office can be a bit of a grab bag – scroll down to your state to see the details for where you live. No matter the specifics, the Secretary of State has power over a lot of your everyday interactions with government.
How can I make my voice heard?
The actions of Secretaries of State impact everyone – and you can have a say. Check out our guide to making an impact at the Secretary of State’s office for some tips on influencing this low-profile but very important office.
Source: the National Association of Secretaries of State
What have Secretaries of State done?
Secretaries of State can influence a lot of different areas of policy, especially voting and elections. Here are just a few examples of actions that have made a big impact:
- Nancy Landry
Louisiana
Shared Louisiana’s new voter list maintenance data with neighboring states, to make sure Louisiana’s voter rolls were accurate by detecting duplicate registrations - Adrian Fontes
Arizona
Testified before Congress about the increase in violence and threats against election officials his state has experienced and the negative impact it’s had on election administration, and called for more protections for these officials - Jocelyn Benson
Michigan
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Benson made absentee voting easier by automatically mailing every registered voter an absentee ballot application - Mac Warner
West Virginia
Joined a 2018 lawsuit arguing that states should be able to delete the registrations of voters who don’t vote regularly; the US Supreme Court agreed, ruling that these voter roll purges were legal
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In 2020 and 2021, Louisiana was hit hard by both the COVID-19 pandemic and several major hurricanes, including Hurricane Ida. These disasters caused significant damage across the state. At the same time, there were important elections happening: a presidential election in 2020, and statewide elections in 2021. As the chief elections official, it was the Secretary of State’s responsibility to make sure that Louisiana residents could still vote. To do that, SoS Kyle Ardoin launched Operation Geaux Vote, a task force to help keep elections running smoothly during and after disasters, in August of 2020. The team in charge of the operation sent extra workers and equipment to damaged areas, moved voting locations so they were more accessible, provided resources to keep polling places open and running, and distributed information for voters who were displaced by flooding. The 2020 election saw Louisiana’s highest turnout rate since 1996, despite the pandemic and 3 major hurricanes, and the task force was able to apply that year’s experiences when Hurricane Ida hit in August of 2021.
Source: the National Association of Secretaries of State; the New Orleans Times-Picayune
How does it work in my state?
Scroll down and click on your state to learn more about the specifics of the Secretary of State’s powers and responsibilities where you live. (If your state isn’t here yet, check back often – we’re adding more info all the time. If the Secretary of State isn’t an elected position where you live, it won’t appear here.)
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Term limits: none; terms are four years
Eligibility: to run for Secretary of State, you must be at least 25 years old and a registered Louisiana voter; and must have been a US citizen and Louisiana resident for at least 5 years
The Secretary of State is Louisiana’s Chief Elections Officer. Their most important responsibilities are:
- Overseeing Louisiana’s elections
Qualifying candidates, overseeing the voting process, confirming results, managing voter registration and education, and making sure all elections are fair and the results are accurate - Maintaining the state government’s official records and archives
Including all the official forms confirming elections and appointments, the state’s official seal and historical records, and more - Supporting businesses
Helping people start companies, manage trademarks, file paperwork, become notaries, and learn about licenses and permits - Overseeing state museums
- Running Louisiana’s Address Confidentiality Program
Sources: the Louisiana Constitution; Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office
- Overseeing Louisiana’s elections
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Term limits: none; terms are four years
Eligibility: to run for any office in North Carolina, you must be at least 21 years old and eligible to vote in the state
The Secretary of State leads an office focused on business transactions and regulation. Unlike in many other states, North Carolina’s Secretary of State does not have significant power over elections or voting. If you own a business or run a charity, this is one of the most important state agencies to know about, but it also provides a lot of services to the general public. Their main powers and responsibilities are:
- Business registration
This office is in charge of all the required processes and documents for starting a business, licensing a charity, and registering trademarks - Registering and regulating notaries and lobbyists
- Helping local governments manage land records
- Maintaining the state’s registry of advance health care directives
An Advance Directive is a legally-binding document that outlines a person’s preferences in medical emergencies when they’re not able to make decisions for themselves. If you’re interested in making a long-term medical care plan, the Secretary’s website has good resources to get you started - Regulating investments, loans, stocks, and bonds transactions
- Authenticating legal documents
- Maintaining many of the state government’s official records, including official election results
- Assisting state and local governments in international affairs
Sources: the North Carolina Constitution, Article III and Article VI; the North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 147; North Carolina State Board of Elections; Office of the North Carolina Secretary of State
- Business registration