The Secretary of State of Texas is one of the six members of the executive department of the

State State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

in the United States. Under the

Constitution of Texas The Constitution of the State of Texas is the document that establishes the structure and function of the government of the U.S. state of Texas, and enumerates the basic rights of the citizens of Texas. The current document was adopted on Feb ...

, the appointment is made by the

governor of Texas The governor of Texas heads the state government of Texas. The governor is the leader of the executive and legislative branch of the state government and is the commander in chief of the Texas Military. The current governor is Greg Abbott, who ...

, with confirmation by the

Texas Senate The Texas Senate ( es, Senado de Texas) is the upper house of the Texas State Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing single-member districts across the U.S. state of Texas, with populations of approximately 806,000 per cons ...

. The officeholder is the chief elections officer, the protocol officer for state and international matters, as well as the liaison for the governor on Mexican and border matters.About the Office
" ''Secretary of State of Texas''. Accessed August 31, 2008. The secretary of state offices are in the

James Earl Rudder State Office Building The James Earl Rudder State Office Building is a historic office building in downtown Austin, Texas, USA. Built in 1918, the five-story structure features 18-foot ceilings and terrazzo and marble flooring. Over time the building has housed the Gen ...

at 1019 Brazos Street in

Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

; the main building handles business and public filings, statutory documents, administrative code open meetings and the UCC. The secretary of state elections office is on the second floor of the James Earl Rudder Building. The executive offices are in Room 1E.8 in the

Texas State Capitol The Texas State Capitol is the capitol and seat of government of the American state of Texas. Located in downtown Austin, Texas, the structure houses the offices and chambers of the Texas Legislature and of the Governor of Texas. Designed in 1881 ...

Duties

Under the Texas Constitution the secretary of state is, with the governor, the lieutenant governor, the comptroller of public accounts, the commissioner of the Office of General Land and the

attorney general In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

, one of the six members of the Executive Department. Of these offices all are elected by the voters in statewide elections except the secretary of state, who is nominated by the governor and confirmed by the Senate. The secretary of state administers the Texas Election Code and maintains public filings; the officeholder is the keeper of the

Seal of the State of Texas Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to impr ...

.Constitutional Duties
" ''Secretary of State of Texas''. Accessed August 31, 2008. The Secretary of State also issues appointments for notaries public.

History

The "Father of Texas",

Stephen F. Austin Stephen Fuller Austin (November 3, 1793 – December 27, 1836) was an American-born empresario. Known as the "Father of Texas" and the founder of Anglo Texas,Hatch (1999), p. 43. he led the second and, ultimately, the successful colonization ...

, was appointed Secretary of State of the Republic of Texas by President

Sam Houston Samuel Houston (, ; March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863) was an American general and statesman who played an important role in the Texas Revolution. He served as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas and was one of the first two i ...

in 1836.History of the Office
" ''Secretary of State of Texas''. Accessed August 31, 2008. Since then, Texas became a state of the United States in 1845 and there have been 114 Secretaries of State.

References

External links

Secretary of State of Texas
{{authority control State agencies of Texas *

Duties

History

See also

References

External links