Secretary of State of California

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Secretary of State of California
Great Flag of the California
Incumbent
Shirley Weber

since January 29, 2021
StyleThe Honorable
Madam Secretary
Term lengthFour years, two term limit
Inaugural holderWilliam Van Voorhies
1849
FormationConstitution of California
Salary$163,917
Websitewww.sos.ca.gov

The secretary of state of California is the chief clerk of the U.S. state of California, overseeing a department of 500 people. The secretary of state is elected to a four year term.

Shirley Weber is the current secretary of State of California, in office since January 2021.[1]

Duties[change | change source]

Elections[change | change source]

Office of the Secretary of State of California in Sacramento

The secretary of state is California's chief elections officer, overseeing all federal and state elections in the state and maintaining a database of registered voters.[2] The officeholder is also responsible for disclosure of campaign and lobbyist financial information, under the California Political Reform Act of 1974.

Corporations[change | change source]

The Office of the Secretary of State has a number of responsibilities related to corporations; the largest portion office is the Business Programs Division, which handles corporate filings. The Business Entities Section processes, files and maintains records related to corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships and other business entities conducting or planning to conduct business in California.

Registries[change | change source]

The office also maintains a number of registries, including the Safe at Home confidential address program and the Domestic Partners and Advance Health Care Directive.[3] Other roles of the secretary of state include safeguarding the California State Archives and sitting on the board of trustees of the California Museum, though the officeholder has not been responsible for the California State Library since 1862.[4][5]

Organization[change | change source]

The Secretary of State's Office is divided into six main divisions:

  • Executive Division, which also includes the Office of Elections Cybersecurity and the Office of Voting Systems Technology Assessment.
  • Elections Division
  • Political Reform Division, which maintains the registry of lobbyists, campaign finances, etc.
  • Management Services Division, which includes accounting, human resources, building operations, etc.
  • Business Programs Division, which handles the registration of companies, notary services, etc.
  • State Archives, which also administers the State Museum that is a part of the Secretary of State's headquarters in downtown Sacramento.

The Secretary of State's Office also works in conjunction with the state Voting Modernization Board.

References[change | change source]

  1. "Alex Padilla Resigns as California Secretary of State; James Schwab to Serve as Interim Secretary". Secretary of State of California. January 18, 2021. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  2. "Ca - Departments". www.allgov.com. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  3. "Safe at Home". Secretary of State of California. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
  4. "Board of Trustees - California Museum". www.californiamuseum.org. Archived from the original on February 17, 2017. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  5. Library, California State. "California State Library - California State Librarians". www.library.ca.gov. Archived from the original on September 13, 2007. Retrieved February 19, 2017.