Minnesota Secretary of State

The secretary of state of Minnesota is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of government of the U.S. state of Minnesota. Twenty-two individuals have held the office of secretary of state since statehood. The incumbent is Steve Simon, a DFLer.

Secretary of State of Minnesota
Seal of Minnesota
Incumbent
Steve Simon
since January 5, 2015
Style
Member ofExecutive Council, among others
SeatMinnesota State Capitol
Saint Paul, Minnesota
AppointerGeneral election
Term lengthFour years, no term limits
Constituting instrumentMinnesota Constitution of 1858, Article V
Inaugural holderCharles K. Smith
FormationMay 11, 1858 (May 11, 1858)
Salary$95,722[1]
WebsiteOfficial page

Election and term of office

The secretary of state is elected by the people on Election Day in November, and takes office on the first Monday of the next January. There is no limit to the number of terms a secretary of state may hold. To be elected secretary of state, a person must be qualified voter, permanently resident in the state of Minnesota at least 30 days prior to the election, and at least 21 years of age.[2]

In the event of a vacancy in the office of the secretary of state, the governor may appoint a successor to serve the balance of the term.[3] The secretary of state may also be recalled by the voters or removed from office through an impeachment trial.[4]

Powers and duties

The secretary of state is keeper of the Great Seal as prescribed by the Minnesota Constitution.[5][6] As such, the secretary of state files, certifies, and preserves in his or her office the enrolled laws of the Legislature, executive orders, commissions and proclamations issued by the governor, state agency rules, official oaths and bonds of state officials, and miscellaneous municipal boundary records.[7] In connection with this role, the secretary of state also processes notary public applications and registers a variety of business associations, including corporations, cooperatives, limited liability companies, limited liability partnerships, limited partnerships, assumed business names, and trademarks.[8] Additionally, a statewide computerized network jointly maintained by the Office of the Secretary of State and county recorders allows the public to file and search Uniform Commercial Code and tax lien records throughout the state.[9]

Hand in hand with business registration and the safekeeping of government records, the secretary of state also administers the open appointments process for state agencies and Safe at Home, Minnesota's address confidentiality program for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and other types of crime.[10][11] Moreover, the secretary of state annually publishes the Minnesota Legislative Manual, a compendium of federal, state, and local government information.[12] Perhaps the most visible and significant duty of the Secretary of State, however, is the administration of Minnesota's election laws. The secretary of state is Minnesota's chief election officer and as such canvasses and certifies election returns and operates the statewide voter registration system, among other election administration duties.[13]

Aside from these functional responsibilities, the secretary of state chairs the State Canvassing Board and is an ex officio member of the Executive Council, the State Board of Investment, and the governing board for the Minnesota Historical Society.[14]

Politics of Minnesota
Constitution
Executive
Legislature
Judiciary
Elections
Subdivisions
Congressional delegation

History

The office of secretary of state has existed since before the Minnesota Territory achieved statehood in 1858, and the responsibilities of the office have largely remained the same in the intervening years.

Territorial Secretaries
ImageNameTook officeLeft officeParty
Charles K. Smith18491851Whig
Alexander Wilkin18511853Whig
Joseph Rosser18531857Democrat
Charles L. Chase18571858Democrat

Secretaries of State

In 1886, elections were moved from odd years to even years. Beginning with the 1962 election, the term of the office increased from two to four years.

No.ImageNameTook officeLeft officeParty
1Francis Baasen18581860Democrat
2James H. Baker18601862Republican
3David Blakeley18621868Republican
4Henry C. Rogers18681870Republican
5Hans Mattson18701872Republican
6Samuel P. Jennison18721876Republican
7John S. Irgens18761880Republican
8Frederick Von Baumbach18801887Republican
9Hans Mattson18871891Republican
10Frederick P. Brown18911895Republican
11Albert Berg18951901Republican
12Peter E. Hanson19011907Republican
13Julius A. Schmahl19071921Republican
14Mike Holm19211952Republican
15H. H. Chesterman19521952
16Virginia Paul Holm19521955Republican
17Joseph L. Donovan19551971DFL
18Arlen Erdahl19711975Republican
19Joan Growe19751999DFL
20Mary Kiffmeyer19992007Republican
21Mark Ritchie20072015DFL
22Steve Simon2015DFL
  • Chesterman served as Assistant Secretary of State under Mike Holm, and was appointed to the position upon Holm's death. He left office later that same year, and never stood for election.

Notes on Minnesota political party names

See also

References
  1. State Elected Officials' Compensation (PDF) (Report). Minnesota House Research Department. 2021. p. 1. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  2. "Article VII, Sections 1, 2, and 6 of the Minnesota Constitution". Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  3. "Article V, Section 3 of the Minnesota Constitution". Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  4. "Article VIII, Sections 1, 2, and 6". Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  5. "Article XIII, Section 11, Minnesota Constitution". Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  6. "Article XIII, Section 11, Minnesota Constitution". Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  7. "About Official Documents". Minnesota Office of the Secretary of State. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  8. "Business Filings". Minnesota Office of the Secretary of State. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  9. "UCC Filings". Minnesota Office of the Secretary of State. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  10. "Frequently Asked Questions". Minnesota Office of the Secretary of State. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  11. "Safe at Home". Minnesota Office of the Secretary of State. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  12. "Get A Blue Book!". Minnesota Office of the Secretary of State. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  13. "What Does the Secretary of State's Office Do?". Minnesota Office of the Secretary of State. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  14. "What Does the Secretary of State's Office Do?". Minnesota Office of the Secretary of State. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
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