Table 4.17

Secretaries of State: Election and Registration Duties


  Election Registration
FIPS State or other
jurisdiction
Chief
election
officer
Determines
ballot
eligibility of
political
parties
Receives
initiative
and/or
referendum
petition
Files
certificate of
nomination
or election
Supplies
election
ballots or
materials to
local officials
Files
candidates'
expense
papers
Files other
campaign
reports
Conducts
voter
education
programs
Registers
charitable
organizations
Registers
corporations
(a)
Processes
and/or
commissions
notaries
public
Registers
securities
Registers
trade
names/marks
01Alabama*

02Alaska* (b)

04Arizona (aa)

05Arkansas

06California✓ (c)

(d)
08Colorado (cc)

09Connecticut*

10Delaware (g)(e)

(f)
12Florida (v)

13Georgia*

15Hawaii* (b)

16Idaho*

17Illinois*(h)

18Indiana (i)

19Iowa (dd)

20Kansas

21Kentucky*

22Louisiana*

23Maine *

(y)
24Maryland*

25Massachusetts

(f)(f)
26Michigan

27Minnesota* (z)

28Mississippi

✓(cc)✓(cc)
29Missouri (bb)

30Montana

✓ (dd)
31Nebraska

32Nevada* (j)

33New Hampshire (ff)

✓ (gg)
34New Jersey*

35New Mexico*

36New York*

37North Carolina (k)

38North Dakota

39Ohio* (l)✓(m)

40Oklahoma*

✓ (n)
41Oregon*

42Pennsylvania*

44Rhode Island (o)

✕ (hh)
45South Carolina (ii)

✓ (p)
46South Dakota

47Tennessee (q)

48Texas*

49Utah* (b)

50Vermont* (r)

51Virginia* (x)

53Washington (w)

54West Virginia*

55Wisconsin* (s)

56Wyoming

(t)

60American Samoa* (b)

66Guam* (b)

72Puerto Rico*

78U.S. Virgin Islands* (b)

✓(u)

Source:

The Council of State Governments' survey of secretaries of state offices, 2023.

Key:

* Information from The Council of State Governments’ survey of secretaries of state offices and review of state websites, 2022.
Responsible for activity.
Not responsible for activity.

Footnotes:

(a)

Unless otherwise indicated, office registers domestic, foreign and non-profit corporations.

(b)

No secretary of state. Duties indicated are performed by lieutenant governor. In Hawaii, election related responsibilities have been transferred to an independent Chief Election Officer. In U. S. Virgin Islands election duties are performed by Supervisor of Elections.

(c)

Other election duties include: tallying votes from all 58 counties, testing and certifying voting systems for use by local elections officials, maintaining statewide voter registration database, publishing state Voter Information Guide/State Ballot Pamphlet and qualifying statewide ballot initiatives and referenda.

(d)

This office does not register charitable trusts, but does register charitable organizations as nonprofit corporations; also limited partnerships, limited liability corporations, and domestic partners, Advanced Health care Directives, and administers the Safe at Home mail forwarding program.

(e)

Files certificates of election for publication purposes only; does not file certificates of nomination.

(f)

Federal candidates only.

(g)

Registration duties include alternative business entities such as LLCs and partnerships.

(h)

Office issues document, but does not receive it.

(i)

Additional election duties include: statewide voter registration system administrator. Additional registration duties include securities enforcement and auto dealer registration and enforcement.

(j)

Additional registration duties include: issues annual State Business License, registers domestic partnerships, registers advanced directives for health care, registers guardianship nominations. Charitable organizations soliciting tax deductible charitable contributions must file a charitable solicitation registration statements or claim of exemption before soliciting charitable contributions in Nevada.

(k)

Other election duties: administers the Electoral College. Other registration duties: Maintains secure online registry of advance health care directives.

(l)

Supplies poll worker training materials to county boards of elections: certifies official form of the ballot to county board of elections.

(m)

Issues certificate of nomination or election to all statewide candidates and Representatives to Congress.

(n)

Certifies U.S. Congressional election results to Washington D.C. Also registers limited partnerships, limited liability companies, and limited liability partnerships.

(o)

Manages/maintains the Central Voter Registration System (CVRS), Sends all mail ballots to voters, certifies federal and state candidates, conducts election seminars and trainings. Additional duties include administering oaths of office to general officers and legislators, and certifying all legislation passed by the General Assembly.

(p)

Also registers the Cable Franchise Authority.

(q)

Appoints the Coordinator of Elections who performs the election duties indicated above, and also prepares the elections manual and elections handbook for use by state officials. Also registers athlete agents, as well as individuals and entities seeking exemption from Tennessee’s workers’ compensation requirements.

(r)

Additional registration duties include: registers temporary officiants for civil marriages.

(s)

Additional registration duties include: Issues authentications and apostilles.

(t)

Materials not ballots.

(u)

Both domestic and foreign profit; but only domestic non-profit.

(v)

Additional registration duties include: registers fictitious names and other types of business entities.

(w)

Additional registration duties include: registers domestic partnerships and registers international student exchange programs.

(x)

Additional registration duties include: registering organizations’ mottos; registering logos and insignias; authentications.

(y)

Registers nonprofit entities.

(z)

Additional registration duties include: registers LLCs, limited partnerships.

(aa)

Additional registration duties include partnerships, telephonic seller, advance directives and uniform commercial code.

(bb)

Also administers the Safe at Home address confidentiality/mail forwarding program; issues authentications and apostilles.

(cc)

Additional registration duties include corporations/business entities along with trade and service names/marks.

(dd)

State Registor of Elections; Voter Registration Commission, Voting Equipment.

(ee)

Conducts Montana YouthVote Program.

(ff)

Secretary of State is also in charge of vital records of New Hampshire.

(gg)

Conducts local election official education programs.

(hh)

Additional registration duties/programs: Uniform Commercial Code, Games of Chance, and the RI Business Assistant (state-level business licensing wizard for entrepreneurs). Registers trademarks and service marks. Administers the One-Day Mariage Officiant Certification. Does not register trade names.

(ii)

Convenes Meeting of Electoral College.