| Secretary of State of Washington | |
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| Style |
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| Seat | Washington State Capitol Olympia, Washington |
| Term length | Four years, no term limits |
| Constituting instrument | Washington Constitution of 1889: Article II, Section 1; Article III, Sections 1, 3, 4, 10, 12, 15, 17, 18, and 24; Article IV, Sections 3 and 28; Article V, Section 2; Article XXVII, Section 12; and Article XXVIII, Section 1[1] |
| Inaugural holder | Allan Weir |
| Formation | November 11, 1889 (136 years ago) (November 11, 1889) |
| Salary | $154,588[2] |
| Website | Official page |
Thesecretary of state of Washington is an independently elected constitutional officer in theexecutive branch of thegovernment of theU.S. state ofWashington. Fifteen individuals have held the office of Secretary of State since statehood. The incumbent isSteve Hobbs, a Democrat.[3]
The Secretary of State most notably manages elections, the office that posts the names of candidates for public offices manages the printing and distribution of ballots.[4]
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 $10,000surety bond to the state conditioned on faithful execution of the duties of office, and reside in the city ofOlympia, Washington, by the time of inauguration. Only thegovernor,state treasurer and secretary of state are constitutionally required to live in the capital city.
A surety bond is an official bond that official must pay to ensure that can be held accountable in cases of fraud or malpractice. The surety bond for Secretary of State is $10,000 to cover the duration of a 4-year commission.[5]
Every 10 years the U.S Bureau requires a redistricting of the national, state and local legislatures to ensure that U.S citizens get equal representation. This process involves the Secretary of State, the Governor and the state legislatures playing key roles in deciding the reshaping of districts. [6]
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.[7]
The secretary of state is the keeper of theSeal of Washington 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.[8][9] In this role, the secretary of state has additional duties related to the disposition of state honors and records. For example, the secretary of state regulates the use of theWashington State flag and is anex officio non-voting member on the committees for theWashington Medal of Valor andthe Washington Medal of Merit.[10][11] 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 thestate library maintains libraries in correctional and mental health institutions and supports scholarly study of its vast research collections.[12][13]
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.[14] 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.[15] Lobbying and campaign finance are separately regulated by the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission.[16]
The Corporations Division of the Office of the Secretary of State registers a variety ofbusiness associations by virtue of the secretary of state's role ascompany register, includingcorporations,cooperatives,limited liability companies,limited liability partnerships,limited partnerships,assumed business names, andtrademarks.[17][18] The secretary also regulatescharities andcharitable trusts, including registering individuals, organizations and commercial fundraisers involved in charitable solicitations.[19] Unlike in some other states however, the secretary of state is not responsible for commissioningnotaries or recording liens or financing statements under theUniform Commercial Code. Those functions are instead performed by theWashington State Department of Licensing.[20][21]
A variety of miscellaneous duties have been assigned to the secretary of state through statute, including coordination of the state'sAddress Confidentiality Program and administration of the state'sworkplace giving program, "the Combined Fund Drive".[22][23] Constitutionally speaking, the Secretary of State is likewise second (behind thelieutenant governor) in theline of succession to the office ofGovernor of Washington.[24]
Additionally the Secretary of State regulates the use of the state seal, filing or attesting to acts of the legislature or governor, certifying to the legislature all matters legally required to be certified.[25]
The State of Washington has had a total of sixteen secretaries of state:[26]
| # | Image | Name | Term | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | .jpg) | Allen Weir | 1890–1893 | Republican |
| 2 |  | James Price | 1893–1897 | Republican |
| 3 |  | Will Jenkins | 1897–1901 | Populist |
| 4 | .jpg) | Sam Nichols | 1901–1909 | Republican |
| 5 | .jpg) | Ithamar Howell | 1909–1920 | Republican |
| 6 | Jay Hinkle | 1920–1933 | Republican | |
| 7 | Ernest Hutchinson | 1933–1938 | Democratic | |
| 8 | Belle Reeves | 1938–1948 | Democratic | |
| 9 | Earl Coe | 1948–1957 | Democratic | |
| 10 |  | Victor Aloysius Meyers | 1957–1965 | Democratic |
| 11 | Lud Kramer | 1965–1975 | Republican | |
| 12 |  | Bruce K. Chapman | 1975–1981 | Republican |
| 13 |  | Ralph Munro | 1981–2001 | Republican |
| 14 | .jpg) | Sam Reed | 2001–2013 | Republican |
| 15 | .jpg) | Kim Wyman | 2013–2021 | Republican |
| 16 | .jpg) | Steve Hobbs | 2021–present | Democratic |
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) Washington statewide elected officials (list) | |
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