Secretary of State of Washington
Secretary of State of Washington | |
---|---|
Style |
|
Seat | Washington State Capitol Olympia, Washington |
Term length | Four years, no term limits |
Constituting instrument | Washington Constitution of 1889: Article II, Section 1; Article III, Sections 1, 3, 4, 10, 12, 15, 17, 18, and 24; Article IV, Sections 3 and 28; Article V, Section 2; Article XXVII, Section 12; and Article XXVIII, Section 1[1] |
Inaugural holder | Allan Weir |
Formation | November 11, 1889 |
Salary | $134,640[2] |
Website | Official page |
The secretary of state of Washington is an independently elected constitutional officer in the
Qualifications
To hold office as Secretary of State, a person must be a United States citizen registered to vote in the state of Washington, provide a $10,000
Powers and duties
The secretary of state is in effect the guarantor of the continuity and stability of good government in Washington, with his or her role extending to the certification, filing, and preservation of public records, the supervision of all aspects of state and local elections, and the registration and regulatory oversight of businesses and charities.[4]
Records management
The secretary of state is the keeper of the
Election administration
The Elections Division of the Office of the Secretary of State has general oversight of election administration throughout the state, with individual county auditors being responsible for candidate registration, ballot preparation, polling, and canvassing.[11] The secretary of state exercises this constitutional power, duty, and authority as chief election officer by accrediting the balloting procedures used by each county, certifying the results of elections, verifying petition signatures used to qualify initiatives and referendums, and distributing the state voter's pamphlet and official notice of elections advertisements.[12] Lobbying and campaign finance are separately regulated by the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission.[13]
Business registration
The Corporations Division of the Office of the Secretary of State registers a variety of
Miscellaneous duties
A variety of miscellaneous duties have been assigned to the secretary of state through statute, including coordination of the state's
List of Washington secretaries of state
The State of Washington has had a total of sixteen secretaries of state:[22]
# | Image | Name | Term | Party |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Allan Weir | 1890–1893 | Republican | |
2 | James Price | 1893–1897 | Republican | |
3 | Will Jenkins | 1897–1901 | Populist | |
4 | Sam Nichols | 1901–1909 | Republican | |
5 | Ithamar Howell | 1909–1920 | Republican | |
6 | Jay Hinkle | 1920–1933 | Republican | |
7 | Ernest Hutchinson | 1933–1938 | Democratic | |
8 | Belle Reeves | 1938–1948 | Democratic | |
9 | Earl Coe | 1948–1957 | Democratic | |
10 | Victor Aloysius Meyers | 1957–1965 | Democratic | |
11 | Lud Kramer | 1965–1975 | Republican | |
12 | Bruce Chapman |
1975–1981 | Republican | |
13 | Ralph Munro | 1981–2001 | Republican | |
14 | Sam Reed | 2001–2013 | Republican | |
15 | Kim Wyman | 2013–2021 | Republican | |
16 | Steve Hobbs | 2021–present | Democratic |
See also
- The Washington Medal of Merit
- List of company registers
References
- ^ "Constitution of Washington". Office of the Code Reviser. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
- ^ "Salaray Information". Washington Citizens' Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
- ^ Melissa Santos. "Gov. Inslee announces pick for Washington's new Secretary of State". Crosscut. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
- ^ About the Office
- ^ "The Washington State Seal". Washington Office of the Secretary of State. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "Chapter 43.07, Revised Code of Washington". Washington Office of the Code Reviser. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "Washington State Flag". Washington Office of the Secretary of State. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "Medals of Merit & Valor". Washington Office of the Secretary of State. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "Washington State Archives". Washington Office of the Secretary of State. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "Washington State Library". Washington Office of the Secretary of State. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ Elections
- ^ Title 29A, Revised Code of Washington
- ^ Washington State Public Disclosure Commission homepage Archived 2008-09-13 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Washington Secretary of State Corporations Division page
- ^ Comparison of business structures, from the Office of the Washington Secretary of State
- ^ Washington Secretary of State, Charities & Trusts Division
- ^ "Notaries public". Washington State Department of Licensing. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
- ^ "UCC-Uniform Commercial Code". Washington State Department of Licensing. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
- ^ Washington State Address Confidentiality Program
- ^ Combined Fund Drive
- ^ "Washington State Constitution". Washington State Legislature. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
- ^ "Washington's Secretaries of State - Past and Present". Sos.wa.gov. Retrieved 2012-01-06.