The secretary of state of Washington is an independently elected constitutional officer in the
executive branch
The Executive, also referred as the Executive branch or Executive power, is the term commonly used to describe that part of government which enforces the law, and has overall responsibility for the governance of a State (polity), state.
In poli ...
of the
government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...
of the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
. Fifteen individuals have held the office of Secretary of State since statehood. The incumbent is
Steve Hobbs, a Democrat.
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
surety bond
In finance, a surety , surety bond or guaranty involves a promise by one party to assume responsibility for the debt obligation of a borrower if that borrower defaults. Usually, a surety bond or surety is a promise by a surety or guarantor to pay ...
to the state conditioned on faithful execution of the duties of office, and reside in the city of
Olympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat and largest city of Thurston County. It is southwest of the state's most populous city, Seattle, and is a cultural center of the southern Puget Sound region.
European ...
, by the time of inauguration. Only the
governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
,
state treasurer
In the state governments of the United States, 48 of the 50 states have the executive position of treasurer. New York abolished the position in 1926; duties were transferred to New York State Comptroller. Texas abolished the position of Texas ...
and secretary of state are constitutionally required to live in the capital city.
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.
Records management
The secretary of state is the keeper of the
Seal of Washington
The Seal of the State of Washington contains a portrait of George Washington, the first President of the United States, as painted by Gilbert Stuart. The outer ring contains the text "The Seal of the State of Washington" and "1889", the year Wa ...
as prescribed by the constitution, and as such is responsible for regulating its use and certifying to the official acts of the Legislature and governor. In this role, the secretary of state has additional duties related to the disposition of state honors and records including regulating the use of the
Washington State flag and is an ''ex officio'' non-voting member of the committees for the
Washington Medal of Valor
The Washington Medal of Valor is one of three statutory civilian awards and decorations issued by the state of Washington, the others being the Washington Medal of Merit and the Washington Gift of Life Award (the state also issues the Washingto ...
and
the Washington Medal of Merit
The Washington Medal of Merit is one of three statutory civilian decorations issued by the state of Washington, the others being the Washington Medal of Valor and the Washington Gift of Life Award (formerly the Washington Gift of Life Medal). Wa ...
. Similarly, the secretary of state directs and supervises Washington's state archives and state library. The state archives coordinates the preservation and management of public records across government, whereas the
state library
A national library is established by the government of a nation to serve as the pre-eminent repository of information for that country. Unlike public libraries, they rarely allow citizens to borrow books. Often, they include numerous rare, valuab ...
maintains libraries in correctional and mental health institutions and supports scholarly study of its vast research collections.
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. 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. Lobbying and campaign finance are separately regulated by the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission.
Business registration
The Corporations Division of the Office of the Secretary of State registers a variety of
business associations by virtue of the secretary of state's role as
company register
A company register is a register of organizations in the jurisdiction they operate under.
A statistical business register has a different purpose than a company register. While a commercial/trade register serves a purpose of protection, accounta ...
, including
corporation
A corporation is an organization—usually a group of people or a company—authorized by the state to act as a single entity (a legal entity recognized by private and public law "born out of statute"; a legal person in legal context) and r ...
s,
cooperative
A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-control ...
s,
limited liability companies
A limited liability company (LLC for short) is the US-specific form of a private limited company. It is a business structure that can combine the pass-through taxation of a partnership or sole proprietorship with the limited liability of a ...
,
limited liability partnership
A limited liability partnership (LLP) is a partnership in which some or all partners (depending on the jurisdiction) have limited liabilities. It therefore can exhibit elements of partnerships and corporations. In an LLP, each partner is not ...
s,
limited partnership
A limited partnership (LP) is a form of partnership similar to a general partnership except that while a general partnership must have at least two general partners (GPs), a limited partnership must have at least one GP and at least one limited ...
s,
assumed business names, and
trademark
A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a type of intellectual property consisting of a recognizable sign, design, or expression that identifies products or services from a particular source and distinguishes them from others ...
s. The secretary also regulates
charities
A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good).
The legal definition of a cha ...
and
charitable trusts, including registering individuals, organizations and commercial fundraisers involved in charitable solicitations. Unlike in some other states however, the secretary of state is not responsible for commissioning
notaries
A notary is a person authorised to perform acts in legal affairs, in particular witnessing signatures on documents. The form that the notarial profession takes varies with local legal systems.
A notary, while a legal professional, is disti ...
or recording liens or financing statements under the
Uniform Commercial Code
The Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), first published in 1952, is one of a number of Uniform Acts that have been established as law with the goal of harmonizing the laws of sales and other commercial transactions across the United States through UC ...
. Those functions are instead performed by the Washington State Department of Licensing.
Miscellaneous duties
A variety of miscellaneous duties have been assigned to the secretary of state through statute, including coordination of the state's
Address Confidentiality Program and administration of the state's
workplace giving program, "the Combined Fund Drive". Constitutionally speaking, the Secretary of State is likewise second (behind the
lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
) in the
line of succession
An order of succession or right of succession is the line of individuals necessitated to hold a high office when it becomes vacated such as head of state or an honour such as a title of nobility.[Governor of Washington
The governor of Washington is the head of government of Washington and commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.WA Const. art. III, § 2. The officeholder has a duty to enforce state laws,WA Const. art. III, § 5. the power to either a ...]
.
List of Washington secretaries of state
The State of Washington has had a total of fifteen secretaries of state:
See also
*
The Washington Medal of Merit
The Washington Medal of Merit is one of three statutory civilian decorations issued by the state of Washington, the others being the Washington Medal of Valor and the Washington Gift of Life Award (formerly the Washington Gift of Life Medal). Wa ...
*
List of company registers
This is a list of official business registers around the world.
There are many types of official business registers, usually maintained for various purposes by a state authority, such as a government agency, or a court of law. In some cases, ...
References
External links
Official homepage of the Washington Secretary of StateList of previous Washington Secretaries of StateWashington State Elections Top 2 Primary FAQ
{{Authority control
*