Secretary of State is an official in the state governments of 47 of the 50 states of the United States. In Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, this official is called the Secretary of the Commonwealth. In the states of Alaska, Hawaii, and Utah, there is no Secretary of State; in those states many duties that a Secretary of State might normally execute fall within the domain of the Lieutenant Governor. Like the Lieutenant Governor, in most states the Secretary of State is in the line of succession to succeed the governor, usually immediately behind the Lieutenant Governor. In the eight states with no Lieutenant Governor, such as Arizona,[1] the Secretary of State is usually first in the line of succession in the event of a vacancy in the governorship. A state government is the government of a subnational entity in nation-states with federal forms of government, which shares political power with the federal government or national government. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... Official language(s) English, Pennsylvania Dutch Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Area  Ranked 33rd  - Total 46,055 sq mi (119,283 km²)  - Width 280 miles (455 km)  - Length 160 miles (255 km)  - % water 2. ... Official language(s) English Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Area  Ranked 35th  - Total 42,793 sq mi (110,862 km²)  - Width 200 miles (320 km)  - Length 430 miles (690 km)  - % water 7. ... Official language(s) English Capital Juneau Largest city Anchorage Area  Ranked 1st  - Total 663,267 sq mi (1,717,855 km²)  - Width 808 miles (1,300 km)  - Length 1,479 miles (2,380 km)  - % water 13. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Official language(s) English Capital Salt Lake City Largest city Salt Lake City Area  Ranked 13th  - Total 84,876 sq mi (219,887 km²)  - Width 270 miles (435 km)  - Length 350 miles (565 km)  - % water 3. ... A Lieutenant Governor is a government official who is the subordinate or deputy of a Governor or Governor-General. ...

Currently, in 35 states, such as California, Illinois, and Mississippi, the Secretary of State is elected at the general election, [2] usually for a four-year term. In others, the Secretary of State is appointed by the governor; Florida[3], Oklahoma, and Texas are amongst the states with this practice. And in one state, Maine, the Secretary of State is appointed to a two-year term by the state legislature. [4] Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... Official language(s) English Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Area  Ranked 25th  - Total 57,918 sq mi (149,998 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 390 miles (629 km)  - % water 4. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... A governor or governour (archaic) is a governing official, usually the executive (at least nominally, to different degrees also politically and administratively) of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the Head of state; furthermore the title applies to officials with a similar mandate as representatives of a chartered... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Largest metro area Miami Area  Ranked 22nd  - Total 65,795[1] sq mi (170,304[1] km²)  - Width 162 miles (260 km)  - Length 497 miles (800 km)  - % water 17. ... Official language(s) None Capital Oklahoma City Largest city Oklahoma City Area  Ranked 20th  - Total 69,960 sq mi (181,196 km²)  - Width 230 miles (370 km)  - Length 298 miles (480 km)  - % water 1. ... Official language(s) English (de facto) See also languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 268,581 sq mi (695,622 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ... Official language(s) None (English de facto; French is also an administrative language) Capital Augusta Largest city Portland Area  Ranked 39th  - Total 33,414 sq mi (86,542 km²)  - Width 210 miles (338 km)  - Length 320 miles (515 km)  - % water 13. ... State legislatures are the lawmaking bodies of the 50 states in the United States of America. ...

The actual duties of a state’s Secretary of State vary greatly from state to state. In most states, the Secretary of State’s office is a creation of the original draft of the state constitution. However, in many cases responsibilities have been added by statute or executive order. In the context of the United States of America, a state constitution is the governing document of a U.S. state, comparable to the U.S. Constitution which is the governing document of the United States. ...

Duties in most states

The most common, and arguably the most important, function held by Secretaries of State is to serve as the state’s chief elections official. In 38 states, ultimate responsibility for the conduct of elections, including the enforcement of qualifying rules, oversight of finance regulation, establishment of actual election-day procedures, falls on the Secretary of State. (Florida is one of the many states in which this is true, and for this reason Florida’s Secretary of State in 2000, Katherine Harris, became one of the few people holding this position to become known outside of her own state.) Presidential election results map. ... Katherine Harris (born April 5, 1957, Key West, Florida) is an outgoing second-term Republican member of the United States House of Representatives representing Floridas 13th congressional district (map). ...

In the vast majority of states, the Secretary of State is also responsible for the administration of the Uniform Commercial Code, an act which provides for the uniform application of business contracts and practices across the United States, including the registration of liens on personal property. Hand in hand with this duty, in most states the Secretary of State is responsible for chartering businesses (usually including partnerships and corporations) that wish to operate within their state. Accordingly, in most states, the Secretary of State also maintains all records on business activities within the state. And in some states, the Secretary of State has actual wide-ranging regulatory authority over businesses as well. The Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) is one of the uniform acts that has been promulgated in attempts to harmonize the law of sales and other commercial transactions in 49 states (all except Louisiana) within the United States of America. ... A contract is any promise or set of promises made by one party to another for the breach of which the law provides a remedy. ... In law, lien is the broadest term for any sort of charge or encumbrance against an item of property that secures the payment of a debt or performance of some other obligation. ... Personal property is a type of property. ... In the common law, a partnership is a type of business entity in which partners share with each other the profits or losses of the business undertaking in which they have all invested. ... A corporation (usually known in the United Kingdom and Ireland as a company) is a legal entity (distinct from a natural person) that often has similar rights in law to those of a Civil law systems may refer to corporations as moral persons; they may also go by the name...

Along with record keeping on businesses, in perhaps a majority of states, the Secretary of State’s office is the primary repository of official records. This includes in most states the official copies of state documents including the actual official copy of the state’s constitution (and in Delaware, the state’s copy of the US Bill of Rights, [5]) formal copies of legislative acts enacted into law, executive orders issued by the governor, and regulations and interpretations of statutes issued by state regulatory agencies. In at least a half-dozen states, this record keeping authority extends to civil acts, such as marriages, birth certificates, and adoption and divorce decrees. Many states also require the Secretary of State's office to also maintain records of land transactions and ownership. Official language(s) None Capital Dover Largest city Wilmington Area  Ranked 49th  - Total 2,491 sq mi (6,452 km²)  - Width 30 miles (48 km)  - Length 100 miles (161 km)  - % water 21. ... United States Bill of Rights The Bill of Rights is the name given to the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. ... An executive order is an edict issued by a member of the executive branch of a government, usually the head of that branch. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Matrimony redirects here. ... Mary Elizabeth Winblad (1895-1987) birth certificate In most countries, a birth certificate is an official legal document usually containing most of the following information: Name at birth Date and time of birth Sex Place of birth Birth registration number (NHS number in UK) Legal parent(s) (including in UK... Adoption is the legal act of permanently placing a child with a parent (or parents) other than the birth parents. ... For the record label, see Divorce Records. ...

In at least 35 states, the Secretary of State is also responsible for the administration of notaries public. And almost all states also designate (almost always in the state constitution itself) that the Secretary of State shall be the “Keeper of the Great Seal” of the state. Ostensibly this requires the Secretary of State to make decisions as to where the state seal shall be affixed, whether it be onto legislation, state contracts, et cetera. An Embossed Notary Seal. ... The Great Seal might mean: Great Seal of Canada Great Seal of the Irish Free State Great Seal of the Realm (UK) Great Seal of the United States See also: Seal This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same...

Less common duties

About a dozen states give the Secretary of State the task of issuing professional licenses. This includes doctors, plumbers, cosmeticians, general contractors, and, in at least two states, ministers (to perform marriages). In Nevada, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, the Secretary of State must clear anyone who wishes to act as a business agent for a professional athlete. A plumber is a tradesperson who specializes in installing and maintaining systems used for potable (drinking) water, sewage, drainage, venting, heating and air-conditioning, or industrial process plant piping. ... A general contractor is an organization or individual that contracts with another organization or individual (the owner) for the construction of a building, road or other facility. ... In most Protestant churches, a minister is a member of the ordained clergy who leads a congregation or participates in a role in a parachurch ministry; such a person may also be called a Pastor, Preacher, Bishop, Chaplain or Elder. ... Matrimony redirects here. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Official language(s) English, Pennsylvania Dutch Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Area  Ranked 33rd  - Total 46,055 sq mi (119,283 km²)  - Width 280 miles (455 km)  - Length 160 miles (255 km)  - % water 2. ... Official language(s) English Capital Charleston Largest city Charleston Area  Ranked 41st  - Total 24,244 sq mi (62,809 km²)  - Width 130 miles (210 km)  - Length 240 miles (385 km)  - % water 0. ... A sports agent is a person who procures and negotiates employment and endorsement deals for an athlete. ...

In Illinois, Maine, and Michigan, the Secretary of State is in charge of the issuance of driver’s licenses. Official language(s) English Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Area  Ranked 25th  - Total 57,918 sq mi (149,998 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 390 miles (629 km)  - % water 4. ... Official language(s) None (English de facto; French is also an administrative language) Capital Augusta Largest city Portland Area  Ranked 39th  - Total 33,414 sq mi (86,542 km²)  - Width 210 miles (338 km)  - Length 320 miles (515 km)  - % water 13. ... Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Area  Ranked 11th  - Total 97,990 sq mi (253,793 km²)  - Width 239 miles (385 km)  - Length 491 miles (790 km)  - % water 41. ... Current EU driving licence, German version - front 1. ...

In several states the Secretary of State is also in charge of monitoring the activities of lobbyists. While some might regard this as a natural extension of the role as chief elections officer, the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia, who is not in charge of elections in that state, is nonetheless responsible for regulating lobbying. Lobbying is the practice of private advocacy with the goal of influencing a governing body, in order to ensure that an individuals or organizations point of view is represented in the government. ... The Secretary of the Commonwealth is a member of the Cabinet of the Governor of Virginia in the United States. ...

In about five states, the Secretary of State is the official in charge of the official state museum. In some of these states, and also some states without official museums, the Secretary of State is designated as the official with responsibility for maintenance of the state’s historical records.

A few states place the Secretary of State in charge of the use of public property. In most cases this means only public buildings (usually the state capitol), but in Mississippi it also includes some lands that are legally defined as belonging to the state, such as tidelands.[6] This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

Several states grant a technical statutory authority to the Secretary of State in the realm of pardons and commutations. In most cases this is nothing more than the responsibility to affix the state’s seal upon the governor’s proclamation. However, in Delaware [7] and Nebraska [8], the Secretary of State sits on a Board of Pardons with the governor, and the Secretary of State commands equal authority with the governor in any pardoning decisions that are issued. A pardon is the forgiveness of a crime and the penalty associated with it. ... In Law, a commutation of sentence occurs when an executive head of government reduces a sentence for a criminal action. ... Official language(s) None Capital Dover Largest city Wilmington Area  Ranked 49th  - Total 2,491 sq mi (6,452 km²)  - Width 30 miles (48 km)  - Length 100 miles (161 km)  - % water 21. ... Official language(s) English Capital Lincoln Largest city Omaha Largest metro area Omaha Area  Ranked 16th  - Total 77,421 sq mi (200,520 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 430 miles (690 km)  - % water 0. ...

Since the early 1980s, many states have increased efforts to develop direct commercial relations with foreign nations. In several of these states, the state's Secretary of State has been given primary responsibility in this area. Despite this, there should be no confusion of the duties of a particular state's Secretary of State and those of the U.S. Secretary of State. The prohibition of the U.S. Constitution against individual states having diplomatic relations with foreign states is absolute; these recently-evolved duties are of a purely commercial nature. The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. ... Page I of the Constitution of the United States of America Page II of the United States Constitution Page III of the United States Constitution Page IV of the United States Constitution The Syng inkstand, with which the Constitution was signed The Constitution of the United States is the supreme... This page is about negotiations; for the board game, see Diplomacy (game). ...

Unique responsibilities

Several states have given their Secretary of State at least one responsibility that is shared by none of her colleagues from other states. Here are a few examples.

• In New York, the Secretary of State is charged with oversight of the state's thousands of cemeteries.^[1] The Secretary is also responsible for coastal issues.
• In Delaware, the Secretary of State is the official responsible for handling Veterans Affairs.^[2]
• In New Jersey, the Secretary of State is in charge of enhancing and building awareness of ethnic diversity. Other duties include promoting volunteerism and literacy.^[3]
• In North Dakota, in the event of a tie in any election for the state legislature, it is the Secretary of State who tosses the coin to determine the winner.^[4]
• In California, in the event of a tie in any election for state government office (other than Governor or Lieutenant Governor), it is the Secretary of State who determines the winner by lot.^[5]

NY redirects here. ... Graves at Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. ... Official language(s) None Capital Dover Largest city Wilmington Area  Ranked 49th  - Total 2,491 sq mi (6,452 km²)  - Width 30 miles (48 km)  - Length 100 miles (161 km)  - % water 21. ... The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet department of the United States government responsible for administering programs of veterans benefits for veterans, their families, and survivors. ... For the Bon Jovi album, see New Jersey (album) Official language(s) None, English de facto Capital Trenton Largest city Newark Area  Ranked 47th  - Total 8,729 sq mi (22,608 km²)  - Width 70 miles (110 km)  - Length 150 miles (240 km)  - % water 14. ... Diversity is the presence of a wide range of variation in the qualities or attributes under discussion. ... Volunteerism is the willingness of people to work on behalf of others without the expectation of pay or other tangible gain. ... World literacy rates by country The traditional definition of literacy is considered to be the ability to read and write, or the ability to use language–to read, write, listen, and speak. ... Official language(s) English Capital Bismarck Largest city Fargo Area  Ranked 19th  - Total 70,762 sq mi (183,272 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 340 miles (545 km)  - % water 2. ... Coin flipping or coin tossing is the practice of throwing a coin in the air to resolve a dispute between two parties. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... Governors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gray Davis with President George W. Bush (2003) Seal of the Governor of California (without the Roman numerals designating the governors sequence) See also: List of pre-statehood governors of California, List of Governors of California The Governor of California is the highest executive authority... This a List of Lieutenant Governors of the State of California, 1850-present. ... Cleromancy, sortilege, casting lots or casting bones is a form of divination in which stuff is thrown randomly on the ground, and the resulting patterns or forms are interpreted to tell the future or make a decision. ...

List of Secretaries of State

This is an incomplete list of Secretaries of State for each state in the United States. Three states have no such position, although some of the duties that might normally be performed by the Secretary of State are responsibilities of the Lieutenant Governor. A Lieutenant Governor is a government official who is the subordinate or deputy of a Governor or Governor-General. ...

This is a list of people who have served as lieutenant governor of the U.S. state of Alaska since statehood in 1959. ... Sean R. Parnell (November 19, 1962 in Hanford, California) is the current Lieutenant Governor of Alaska, United States, taking office in 2006 alongside governor Sarah Palin. ... The Secretary of State of California is the states chief elections officer. ... Debra Bowen (born October 27, 1955) has been a California State Senator of the 28th State Senate District since 1998, and is the Democratic California Secretary of State-elect. ... Susan Bysiewicz (born 1961) is a Democratic politician, who currently serves as Secretary of State in the U.S State of Connecticut. ... Karen Handel is an American politician in the state of Georgia. ... Lieutenant Governors of Hawaii have been administering their duties from the Hawaii State Capitol since 1969. ... An infamous drug court judge, James Aiona became the first Republican elected Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii in forty years. ... Ben Ysursa, born October 15, 1949 in Boise, Idaho, is the Secretary of State in Idaho, USA. He was elected on the Republican Party ticket. ... The Secretary of State of Illinois is the keeper of the official records, laws, and Great Seal of the U.S. state of Illinois. ... Jesse White (born June 23, 1934) is a Democratic American politician. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Michael Anthony Mauro (born September 29, 1948) is the County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections for Polk County, Iowa. ... Ron Thornburgh is the current Secretary of State of Kansas. ... Trey Grayson (born April 18, 1972 in Kenton County, Kentucky) is the Secretary of State for the state of Kentucky. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Secretary of State of Maryland is charged with the administrative and record-keeping functions of the State Government of Maryland. ... The current Secretary of the Commonwealth (Basically the Secretary of State) is William Galvin. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Terri Lynn Land is Michigans 41st Secretary of State. ... Minnesotas secretaries of state Territory Charles K. Smith 1849-1851 Alexander Wilkin 1851-1853 Joseph T. Rosser 1853-1857 Charles L. Chase 1857-1858 State Francis Baasen 1858-1860 James H. Baker 1860-1862 David Blakeley 1862-1868 Henry C. Rogers 1868-1870 Hans Mattson 1870-1872 Samuel P... Mark Ritchie (born 1951) was elected to be the 21st Minnesota Secretary of State on November 7, 2006. ... The people below have all served as the Secretary of State for Missouri. ... Robin Carnahan Robin Carnahan is an American politician and the current Missouri Secretary of State. ... The department in charge of all elections within the state of New Hampshire, named after its director, New Hampshires Secretary of State. ... Gardner listening at an event in Wilton, NH, on August 7, 2005 Bill Gardner is the current Secretary of State in the State of New Hampshire and the longest serving state level Secretary of State in US History. ... Nina Mitchell Wells is the Secretary of State of New Jersey. ... Rebecca Vigil-Giron is a American politician, who served as the Democratic Secretary of State in New Mexico from 1986 to 1990, and from 1998 to 2007 Born Rebecca Vigil, she was born and raised in Taos, New Mexico, and is an 11th generation New Mexican. ... Secretary of State is an official in the state governments of 47 of the 50 states of the United States. ... Lorraine Cortes-Vazquez is the Secretary of State of New York, serving in the Cabinet of Gov. ... The North Carolina Secretary of State is an elected official in the U.S. state of North Carolina, heading the Department of the Secretary of State, which oversees many of the economic and business-related operations of the state government. ... Elaine F. Marshall (born 18 November 1945) is the current North Carolina Secretary of State; she is the first woman to be elected to that office. ... Alvin A. Jaeger (born 1943) is the current Secretary of State of North Dakota. ... The Ohio Secretary of State is responsible for overseeing the elections in the state of Ohio. ... Great Seal of the State of Oklahoma Susan Savage, the 29th and current Secretary of State of Oklahoma The Secretary of State of Oklahoma is Oklahoma’s chief elections officer and the only appointed core member of the executive branch of the Oklahoma state government. ... Susan Savage, the 29th and current Secretary of State of Oklahoma M. Susan Savage is an American Democratic politician currently serving as the current and 29th Secretary of State of Oklahoma. ... ... Bill Bradbury (born 1949) is the Secretary of State for the U.S. state of Oregon. ... The Tennessee Secretary of State is an office created by the Tennessee State Constitution which is responsible for many of the administrative aspects of the operation of Tennessee state government. ... Riley C. Darnell (born May 13, 1940) is Secretary of State for the state of Tennessee. ... List of Utah Lieutenant Governors since the office was created Please Note: The Office of the Lieutenant Governor in Utah was created in 1976. ... Gary Richard Herbert is a Republican and was elected as Lieutenant Governor of Utah on November 2, 2004. ... Deborah Deb Markowitz is Vermonts Secretary of State. ... The Secretary of the Commonwealth is a member of the Cabinet of the Governor of Virginia in the United States. ... Katherine Hanley is currently Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia. ... Sam Reed is an American politician. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... This is a list of secretaries of state from the U.S. state of Wisconsin. ... Douglas LaFollette (born June 6, 1940) is a United States politician in the state of Wisconsin. ... Max Maxfield is an American politician currently serving as the State Auditor of Wyoming, and elected for the Secretary of State office commencing 2007 as a Republican. ...

References

1. ^ New York Division of Cemeteries
2. ^ Delaware Commission of Veterans Affairs
3. ^ New Jersey Department of State
4. ^ Fifty-Sixth Biennial Report (2003-2005) of the North Dakota Secretary of State
5. ^ California Elections Code 15651

• Listing of websites for all 47 Secretaries of State., via statelocalgov.net