The Secretary of State of Texas is one of the six members of the executive department of the
State of
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
in the United States. Under the
Constitution of Texas, the appointment is made by the
governor of Texas, with confirmation by the
Texas Senate.
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 ...
at 1019 Brazos Street in
Austin; 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.
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, was appointed Secretary of State of the Republic of Texas by President
Sam Houston 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.
See also
* List of secretaries of state of Texas
The following is a list of secretaries of state of Texas for both the Republic of Texas and the State of Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square mi ...
* List of company registers
References
External links
Secretary of State of Texas
{{authority control
State agencies of Texas
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