Secretary of state ( U.S. state government ) - wikipedia Secretary of state ( U.S. state government ) Party affiliation of current United States secretaries of state or analogous officials : Democratic secretary of state Republican secretary of state Independent secretary of state New Progressive / Republican secretary of state Nonexistent Secretary of state is an official in the state governments of 47 of the 50 states of the United States, as well as Puerto Rico and other U.S. possessions. In Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, this official is called the secretary of the commonwealth. In states that have one, the secretary of state is the chief clerk of the state, and is often the primary custodian of important state records. 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, in most cases immediately behind the lieutenant governor. In three states with no lieutenant governor ( Arizona, Oregon and Wyoming ) as well as the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, the secretary of state is first in the line of succession in the event of a gubernatorial vacancy. Currently, in 35 states, the secretary of state is elected, usually for a four - year term. In others, the secretary of state is appointed by the governor with confirmation with the state 's respective Senate ; Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia are amongst the states with this practice. In three states, the secretary of state is elected by the state legislature ; the General Assembly of Tennessee meets in joint convention to elect the Secretary of State to a four - year term, and the Maine Legislature and New Hampshire General Court also select their secretaries of state, but to two - year terms. The longest serving state secretary of state in history was Thad A. Eure of North Carolina, who served from 1936 until 1989. Most secretaries of state, or those acting in that capacity ( with the exception of Wisconsin and Hawaii ), belong to the National Association of Secretaries of State. Contents 1 Duties 1.1 Duties in most states 1.2 Less common duties 1.3 Unique responsibilities 2 Current secretaries of state 3 See also 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External links Duties The actual duties of a secretary of state vary widely 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. 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 ( although many states also have supervisors of elections, which are usually county elected officials ). In 38 states, ultimate responsibility for the conduct of elections, including the enforcement of qualifying rules, oversight of finance regulation and establishment of Election Day procedures falls on the secretary of state. The exceptions are Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin. Florida is one of the many states for which this is true, and for this reason Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris became one of the few state secretaries of state to become well known during the Florida election recount. 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 state trademark registration and 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. In addition to business record, the secretary of state 's office is the primary repository of official records in perhaps a majority of states. This includes in most states the official copies of state documents including the actual official copy of the state constitution ( and in Delaware, the state - owned copy of the United States Bill of Rights ) 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. 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 to make decisions as to where the state seal shall be affixed, whether it be onto legislation, state contracts, or other official documents. Those states which have address confidentiality programs often place the Secretary of State in charge of administering them. 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 sports agent for a professional athlete. In several states ( including Indiana, Mississippi, Massachusetts, and Wyoming ), the secretary of state is responsible for oversight of the securities industry. In Illinois, Maine, and Michigan, the secretary of state is in charge of the issuance of driver 's licenses, motor vehicle registrations, and collecting motor vehicle taxes. In many other states, these duties fall under an organization such as departments of motor vehicles, transportation, or state police. 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. 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 put the secretary of state in charge of the use of public property. In most cases, this means only public buildings ( usually the state capitol building ), but in Mississippi it also includes some lands that are legally defined as belonging to the state, such as tidelands. 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 seal upon the governor 's proclamation. However, in Delaware and Nebraska, 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. 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 United States Secretary of State. The prohibition of the United States Constitution against individual states having diplomatic relations with foreign states is absolute ; these recently evolved duties are of a purely commercial nature. In Maine and California, in the event of some electoral ties, it is the secretary of state who determines the winner by drawing lots. In California, this does not extend to primary elections, or to the elections of the Governor or the Lieutenant Governor. In Maine, this duty only applies to primary elections. Unique responsibilities Several states have given their secretary of state at least one responsibility that is shared by no other state 's secretary : In Delaware, the Secretary of State is the official responsible for handling the Delaware Commission of Veterans Affairs. In Indiana, the Secretary of State is responsible for the regulation of auto dealerships. 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. In New York, the Secretary of State is charged with oversight of the state 's thousands of cemeteries. The secretary is also responsible for coastal issues arising under the federal Coastal Zone Management Act. 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. In Oregon, the Secretary of State is also the Chief Auditor of Public Accounts. In South Carolina, the Secretary of State is in charge of cable television franchises. In South Dakota, the Secretary of State is the authority for issuance of concealed weapon permits. In Puerto Rico, by statute, the Secretary of State chairs the Governor 's Advisory Council on Executive Branch Reorganization and Modernization, which drafts the reorganization plans that the governor submits to the legislature for approval. Current secretaries of state Officeholder State Party Assumed office Title Merrill, John John Merrill Alabama Republican 000000002015 - 01 - 19 - 0000 January 19, 2015 Secretary of State Mallott, Byron Byron Mallott Alaska Democratic 000000002014 - 12 - 16 - 0000 December 16, 2014 Lieutenant Governor Mauga, Lemanu Lemanu Mauga American Samoa Democratic 000000002013 - 01 - 03 - 0000 January 3, 2013 Lieutenant Governor Reagan, Michele Michele Reagan Arizona Republican 000000002015 - 01 - 05 - 0000 January 5, 2015 Secretary of State Martin, Mark Mark Martin Arkansas Republican 000000002011 - 01 - 11 - 0000 January 11, 2011 Secretary of State Padilla, Alex Alex Padilla California Democratic 000000002015 - 01 - 05 - 0000 January 5, 2015 Secretary of State Williams, Wayne Wayne Williams Colorado Republican 000000002015 - 01 - 13 - 0000 January 13, 2015 Secretary of State Merrill, Denise Denise Merrill Connecticut Democratic 000000002011 - 01 - 05 - 0000 January 5, 2011 Secretary of the State Bullock, Jeffrey Jeffrey Bullock Delaware Democratic 000000002009 - 01 - 20 - 0000 January 20, 2009 Secretary of State Vaughan, Lauren Lauren Vaughan District of Columbia Democratic 000000002015 - 01 - 02 - 0000 January 2, 2015 Secretary of the District Detzner, Ken Ken Detzner Florida Republican 000000002012 - 02 - 17 - 0000 February 17, 2012 Secretary of State Kemp, Brian Brian Kemp Georgia Republican 000000002010 - 01 - 08 - 0000 January 8, 2010 Secretary of State Tenorio, Ray Ray Tenorio Guam Republican 000000002011 - 01 - 03 - 0000 January 3, 2011 Lieutenant Governor Chin, Doug Doug Chin Hawaii Democratic 000000002018 - 02 - 01 - 0000 February 1, 2018 Lieutenant Governor Denney, Lawerence Lawerence Denney Idaho Republican 000000002015 - 01 - 05 - 0000 January 5, 2015 Secretary of State White, Jesse Jesse White Illinois Democratic 000000001999 - 01 - 11 - 0000 January 11, 1999 Secretary of State Lawson, Connie Connie Lawson Indiana Republican 000000002012 - 03 - 16 - 0000 March 16, 2012 Secretary of State Pate, Paul Paul Pate Iowa Republican 000000002015 - 01 - 01 - 0000 January 1, 2015 Secretary of State Kobach, Kris Kris Kobach Kansas Republican 000000002011 - 01 - 10 - 0000 January 10, 2011 Secretary of State Grimes, Alison Alison Grimes Kentucky Democratic 000000002012 - 01 - 02 - 0000 January 2, 2012 Secretary of State Schedler, Tom Tom Schedler Louisiana Republican 000000002010 - 11 - 22 - 0000 November 22, 2010 Secretary of State Dunlap, Matthew Matthew Dunlap Maine Democratic 000000002013 - 01 - 07 - 0000 January 7, 2013 Secretary of State Wobensmith, John John Wobensmith Maryland Republican 000000002015 - 01 - 21 - 0000 January 21, 2015 Secretary of State Galvin, William William Galvin Massachusetts Democratic 000000001995 - 01 - 01 - 0000 January 1, 1995 Secretary of the Commonwealth Johnson, Ruth Ruth Johnson Michigan Republican 000000002011 - 01 - 01 - 0000 January 1, 2011 Secretary of State Simon, Steve Steve Simon Minnesota Democratic 000000002015 - 01 - 05 - 0000 January 5, 2015 Secretary of State Hosemann, Delbert Delbert Hosemann Mississippi Republican 000000002008 - 01 - 10 - 0000 January 10, 2008 Secretary of State Ashcroft, Jay Jay Ashcroft Missouri Republican 000000002017 - 01 - 09 - 0000 January 9, 2017 Secretary of State Stapleton, Corey Corey Stapleton Montana Republican 000000002017 - 01 - 02 - 0000 January 2, 2017 Secretary of State Gale, John John Gale Nebraska Republican 000000002000 - 12 - 01 - 0000 December 2000 Secretary of State Cegavske, Barbara Barbara Cegavske Nevada Republican 000000002015 - 01 - 05 - 0000 January 5, 2015 Secretary of State Gardner, Bill Bill Gardner New Hampshire Democratic 000000001976 - 12 - 01 - 0000 December 1976 Secretary of State Way, Tahesha Tahesha Way New Jersey Democratic 000000002018 - 01 - 16 - 0000 January 16, 2018 Secretary of State Toulouse Oliver, Maggie Maggie Toulouse Oliver New Mexico Democratic 000000002016 - 12 - 09 - 0000 December 9, 2016 Secretary of State Perales, Cesar Cesar Perales New York Democratic 000000002011 - 05 - 02 - 0000 May 2, 2011 Secretary of State Marshall, Elaine Elaine Marshall North Carolina Democratic 000000001997 - 01 - 01 - 0000 January 1997 Secretary of State Jaeger, Al Al Jaeger North Dakota Republican 000000001993 - 01 - 01 - 0000 January 1, 1993 Secretary of State Hocog, Victor Victor Hocog Northern Mariana Islands Republican 000000002015 - 01 - 12 - 0000 January 12, 2015 Lieutenant Governor Husted, Jon Jon Husted Ohio Republican 000000002011 - 01 - 10 - 0000 January 10, 2011 Secretary of State Lopez, Dave Dave Lopez Oklahoma Republican 000000002017 - 03 - 27 - 0000 March 27, 2017 Secretary of State Richardson, Dennis Dennis Richardson Oregon Republican 000000002017 - 01 - 02 - 0000 January 2, 2017 Secretary of State Cortés, Pedro Pedro Cortés Pennsylvania Democratic 000000002015 - 01 - 20 - 0000 January 20, 2015 Secretary of the Commonwealth Rivera Marín, Luis Luis Rivera Marín Puerto Rico New Progressive / Republican 000000002017 - 01 - 02 - 0000 January 2, 2017 Secretary of State Gorbea, Nellie Nellie Gorbea Rhode Island Democratic 000000002015 - 01 - 06 - 0000 January 6, 2015 Secretary of State Hammond, Mark Mark Hammond South Carolina Republican 000000002003 - 01 - 15 - 0000 January 15, 2003 Secretary of State Krebs, Shantel Shantel Krebs South Dakota Republican 000000002015 - 01 - 10 - 0000 January 10, 2015 Secretary of State Hargett, Tre Tre Hargett Tennessee Republican 000000002009 - 01 - 15 - 0000 January 15, 2009 Secretary of State Pablos, Rolando Rolando Pablos Texas Republican 000000002017 - 01 - 06 - 0000 January 6, 2017 Secretary of State Cox, Spencer Spencer Cox Utah Republican 000000002013 - 10 - 16 - 0000 October 16, 2013 Lieutenant Governor Condos, Jim Jim Condos Vermont Democratic 000000002011 - 01 - 06 - 0000 January 6, 2011 Secretary of State Potter, Osbert Osbert Potter U.S. Virgin Islands Independent 000000002015 - 01 - 05 - 0000 January 5, 2015 Lieutenant Governor Thomasson, Kelly Kelly Thomasson Virginia Democratic 000000002016 - 04 - 15 - 0000 April 15, 2016 Secretary of the Commonwealth Wyman, Kim Kim Wyman Washington Republican 000000002013 - 01 - 16 - 0000 January 16, 2013 Secretary of State Warner, Mac Mac Warner West Virginia Republican 000000002017 - 01 - 16 - 0000 January 16, 2017 Secretary of State La Follette, Doug Doug La Follette Wisconsin Democratic 000000001983 - 01 - 03 - 0000 January 3, 1983 Secretary of State Buchanan, Edward Edward Buchanan Wyoming Republican 000000002018 - 03 - 01 - 0000 March 1, 2018 Secretary of State See also List of female secretaries of state of U.S. state governments National Association of Secretaries of State Rotating Regional Primary System State attorney general State treasurer State constitutional officer List of company registers References Jump up ^ `` Duties of the Secretary of State ''. Arizona Secretary of State. Archived from the original on 2015 - 02 - 27. Jump up ^ Secretary of State biography Archived 2007 - 07 - 11 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia Jump up ^ Tennessee Secretary of State Jump up ^ State of Maine Jump up ^ `` State Election Agencies ''. Ballotpedia. Retrieved 6 August 2016. Jump up ^ Delaware Secretary of State Jump up ^ http://www.sos.state.ms.us/PublicLands/Tidelands/ Jump up ^ http://www.state.de.us/sos/pardhome.shtml Jump up ^ http://www.pardons.state.ne.us/faq.html Jump up ^ Art 1 Sec 10 ( 3 ) : `` No State shall, without the consent of Congress,... enter into any agreement or compact... with a foreign power '' Jump up ^ California Elections Code 15651 Jump up ^ Maine Statute Jump up ^ Delaware Commission of Veterans Affairs Jump up ^ Indiana Dealer Division Jump up ^ New Jersey Department of State Archived 2005 - 10 - 24 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ New York Division of Cemeteries Archived 2005 - 12 - 10 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ Fifty - Sixth Biennial Report ( 2003 - 2005 ) of the North Dakota Secretary of State Jump up ^ ( 1 ) Jump up ^ South Carolina Cable Franchise Authority Jump up ^ South Dakota Secretary of State, Concealed Pistol permits Further reading Jocelyn F. Benson. State Secretaries of State : Guardians of the Democratic Process ( Ashgate Publishing Company ; 2010 ) 156 pages ; A study of state - level secretaries of state that focuses on their role as supervisors of elections. External links Secretary of State Business And Corporation Search via search-sos.org Listing of websites for all 47 Secretaries of State., via statelocalgov.net Listing of all Secretary of State corporate search pages, via SecStates.com Secretaries of State in the United States AL John Merrill ( R ) AK Byron Mallott ( D ) AZ Michele Reagan ( R ) AR Mark Martin ( R ) CA Alex Padilla ( D ) CO Wayne Williams ( R ) CT Denise Merrill ( D ) DE Jeffrey Bullock ( D ) FL Ken Detzner ( R ) GA Brian Kemp ( R ) HI Doug Chin ( D ) ID Lawerence Denney ( R ) IL Jesse White ( D ) IN Connie Lawson ( R ) IA Paul Pate ( R ) KS Kris Kobach ( R ) KY Alison Grimes ( D ) LA Tom Schedler ( R ) ME Matthew Dunlap ( D ) MD John Wobensmith ( R ) MA Bill Galvin ( D ) MI Ruth Johnson ( R ) MN Steve Simon ( D ) MS Delbert Hosemann ( R ) MO Jay Ashcroft ( R ) MT Corey Stapleton ( R ) NE John Gale ( R ) NV Barbara Cegavske ( R ) NH Bill Gardner ( D ) NJ Tahesha Way ( D ) NM Maggie Toulouse Oliver ( D ) NY Rossana Rosado ( D ) NC Elaine Marshall ( D ) ND Al Jaeger ( R ) OH Jon Husted ( R ) OK Dave Lopez ( R ) OR Dennis Richardson ( R ) PA Pedro Cortés ( D ) RI Nellie Gorbea ( D ) SC Mark Hammond ( R ) SD Shantel Krebs ( R ) TN Tre Hargett ( R ) TX Rolando Pablos ( R ) UT Spencer Cox ( R ) VT Jim Condos ( D ) VA Kelly Thomasson ( D ) WA Kim Wyman ( R ) WV Mac Warner ( R ) WI Doug La Follette ( D ) WY Edward Buchanan ( R ) DC Lauren Vaughan ( D ) Territories : AS Lemanu Mauga ( D ) GU Ray Tenorio ( R ) MP Victor Hocog ( R ) PR Luis Rivera Marín ( R ) VI Osbert Potter ( I ) Political party affiliations : 33 Republican 22 Democratic 1 Independent italics indicate no secretary of state in this state, closest equivalent listed * Acting Secretary of State U.S. state cabinets By state Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California ( more ) Colorado Connecticut ( more ) Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas ( more ) Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York ( more ) North Carolina : Cabinet, Council of State ( more ) North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma ( more ) Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee ( more ) Texas ( more ) Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin ( more ) Wyoming Territories and insular areas American Samoa District of Columbia Guam Puerto Rico U.S. Virgin Islands By officer Governor ( more ) Lieutenant governor ( more ) Secretary of state ( more ) Attorney general ( more ) Treasurer ( more ) Auditor ( more ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Secretary_of_state_(U.S._state_government)&oldid=831012998 '' Categories : State secretaries of state of the United States State government in the United States Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links Articles with hCards Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Français Frysk Bahasa Indonesia עברית 日本 語 Edit links This page was last edited on 18 March 2018, at 06 : 12. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: who performs the secretarial duties for the states of massachusetts pennsylvania and virginia
Answer: William Galvin