Secretary of State of Vermont

The secretary of state of Vermont is one of five cabinet-level constitutional officers in the U.S. state of Vermont which are elected every two years.[1][2] The secretary of state is fourth (behind the lieutenant governor, speaker of the House of Representatives, president pro tempore of the Senate, respectively) in the line of succession to the office of Governor of Vermont.[3][4][5] The Office of the Secretary of State is located at 128 State St. in Montpelier.[6] Since 2023, the secretary of state has been Sarah Copeland-Hanzas, a Democrat.[7]

Secretary of State of Vermont
Great Seal of the State of Vermont
Flag of the State of Vermont
Incumbent
Sarah Copeland-Hanzas
since 2023
TypeSecretary of State
Seat128 State St., Montpelier, Vermont
Term length2 years
Formation1778
First holderThomas Chandler Jr.
WebsiteVermont Secretary of State

Responsibilities

The agency, headed by the Vermont secretary of state, manages several divisions and departments including:

  • The State Archives Division is charged with preserving and keeping accessible all state records. The State Archives preserve documents going back to the state's founding as the Vermont Republic in 1777.[8]
  • The Office of Professional Regulations licenses and regulates 39 professional occupations to protect the state's citizens from incompetent, unethical, and unprofessional behavior.[8]
  • The Elections Divisions administers Vermont's elections, works to protect the integrity of the democratic process, registers voters, coordinates administration of the Voter's Oath, oversees campaign finance reporting, and implements Vermont's lobbyist disclosure laws.[8]
  • The Corporations Division registers business entities and is the filing repository for Uniform Commercial Code filings for the state of Vermont.[8]
  • The Notary Resource Center oversees Vermont's notaries public.[8]

The Secretary of State's Office is also responsible for the filing and publication of administrative rules by all state agencies.[8]

The office of Secretary of State pre-dates Vermont statehood in 1791.[7] Prior to 1884 the Secretary of State was chosen in a vote of the Vermont General Assembly.[7] The first secretary of state chosen by the voters of the state was Charles W. Porter.[7]

List of Vermont secretaries of state

Vermont's secretaries of state since 1778 include:[7]

#Secretary of StatePictureTermParty
1 Thomas Chandler Jr. 1778 No party affiliation
2 Joseph Fay 1778–1781 No party affiliation
3 Micah Townshend 1781–1788 No party affiliation
4 Roswell Hopkins 1788–1802 Federalist Party
5 David Wing Jr. 1802–1806 Federalist Party
6 Thomas Leverett 1806–1813 Democratic-Republican Party
7 Josiah Dunham 1813–1815 Federalist Party
8 William Slade Jr. 1815–1823 Democratic-Republican Party
9 Norman Williams 1823–1831 National Republican
10 Timothy Merrill 1831–1836 Anti-Masonic
11 Chauncey L. Knapp 1836–1841 Anti-Masonic
12 Alvah Sabin 1841–1842 Whig
13 James McMillan Shafter 1842–1849 Whig
14 Farrand F. Merrill 1849–1853 Whig
15 Daniel Pierce Thompson 1853–1855 Liberty (Whig affiliated)
16 Charles W. Willard 1855–1857 Republican
17 Benjamin W. Dean 1857–1861 Republican
18 George W. Bailey Jr. 1861–1865 Republican
19 George Nichols 1865–1884 Republican
20 Charles W. Porter 1884–1890 Republican
21 Chauncey W. Brownell 1890–1898 Republican
22 Fred A. Howland 1898–1902 Republican
23 Frederick G. Fleetwood 1902–1908 Republican
24 Guy W. Bailey 1908–1917 Republican
25 Frederick G. Fleetwood 1917–1919 Republican
26 Harry A. Black 1919–1923 Republican
27 Aaron H. Grout 1923–1927 Republican
28 Rawson C. Myrick 1927–1947 Republican
29 Helen E. Burbank 1947–1949 Republican
30 Howard E. Armstrong 1949–1965 Republican
31 Harry H. Cooley 1965–1969 Democratic
32 Richard C. Thomas 1969–1977 Republican
33 James A. Guest 1977–1981 Democratic
34 James H. Douglas 1981–1993 Republican
35 Donald M. Hooper 1993–1995 Democratic
36 James F. Milne 1995–1999 Republican
37 Deborah Markowitz 1999–2011 Democratic
38 James C. Condos 2011–2023 Democratic
39 Sarah Copeland-Hanzas 2023–present Democratic

See also

References
  1. Bradley, Pat (November 7, 2018). "Statewide Officeholders In Vermont Re-elected". WAMC Radio. Albany, NY.
  2. Berg-Anderson, Richard; Roza, Tony. "Vermont Statewide Offices". 2020 General Election. The Green Papers. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  3. "Constitution of the State of Vermont". Vermont General Assembly. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  4. "3 V.S.A. § 1 — Vacancy, absence from State". Vermont General Assembly. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  5. "20 V.S.A. § 183 — Additional successor to office of governor". Vermont General Assembly. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  6. "Vermont Secretary of State's office moving to 128 State St". VT Digger. Montpelier, VT. June 1, 2011.
  7. "Secretaries of State, 1778-Present". sec.state.vt.us. Montpelier, VT: Vermont Secretary of State. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  8. "About the Office". sec.state.vt.us. Montpelier, VT: Vermont Secretary of State. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
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