What the Secretary of State Does . . .
Every state has the office of Secretary of State. This office is
established with the adoption of the individual state's constitution.
The Secretary of State functions as the state's chief elections officer,
and as such, is responsible for supervising all state and local
elections. The Elections Division produces and distributes the
state voter's pamphlet, verifies petition signatures on
initiatives and referendums, accepts declarations of candidacy for
federal and state offices, administers voter registration
programs, canvasses state election returns, and tests and
certifies electronic voting equipment.
Corporations doing business in states should register
with the State Secretary of State's Office. These state registrations provide
information about a corporation's officers, and other related data
for use by financial and legal services, law enforcement agencies,
the IRS, and the general public.
The Secretary of State is responsible for collecting and
preserving the historical records of the state, and making those
records available for research. Records dating back to 1854 are
held by the agency's Archives Division at the state capital and at
five regional repositories across the state.
Other functions of the Secretary of State include: registering
all organizations involved in soliciting the public for charitable
donations; administering the state's employee involvement and
productivity programs; managing the Address Confidentiality
Program for victims of domestic violence; affixing the State Seal
and attesting to certain documents issued by the Governor; and
certifying certain matters to the Legislature.
In addition to these constitutional and statutory duties, the
Secretary of State of the State is often called upon to greet and confer
with dignitaries and delegations visiting the state from other nations.
