Secretaries of State

Forty-seven states have a secretary of state, while in Alaska, Hawaii, and Utah the lieutenant governor performs similar duties. Secretaries of state are elected in 35 states, appointed by the governor in most of the rest, and chosen by the legislature in Maine, New Hampshire, and Tennessee. Unlike the federal Secretary of State, they have nothing to do with foreign policy. Their duties descend from the colonial secretaries who kept official records and the state seal.

In most states the secretary of state is the chief election official, overseeing voter registration, ballot certification, candidate filings, election administration by counties, and the certification of results, though some states use election boards instead. Secretaries of state also register corporations and other businesses, file official documents and regulations, commission notaries, maintain state archives, and in some states license professionals or oversee motor vehicle records. In a few states, the secretary of state is first in line to succeed the governor.

The office gained national prominence after the 2020 election, when some secretaries of state faced pressure to overturn certified results and threats to election workers rose. Races for the office in 2022 drew record spending and attention, with candidates divided over claims about the 2020 election. Since then, disputes have continued over voter roll maintenance, certification deadlines, and federal requests for state voter data. Supporters of elected secretaries say voters should choose who runs elections, while critics argue that partisan officials should not oversee contests in which their own party competes.