Montana Secretary of State
From Ballotpedia
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Current officeholder
The current Secretary of State is Linda McCulloch. She was first elected to the statewide position in 2008.
Authority
The state Constitution addresses the office of secretary of state in Article VI, the Executive Department.
Under Article VI, Section I:
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The executive branch includes a governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state... |
Qualifications
A candidate for secretary of state must be:
- at least 25 years of age or older at the time of election
- a citizen of the United States
- have resided within the state at least two years at his election
Elections
Article VI of the Montana State Constitution stipulates that the Secretary of State is a publicly elected official who serves a term of four years. This statewide officer will, according to Article IV, Section 8, have served in that office or had he not resigned or been recalled would have served in that office 8 or more years in any 16-year period.
Vacancies
Details of vacancies are addressed under Article VI, Section 6.
If the secretary of state's office is vacant due to death, resignation, or disability, the Governor shall appoint a new secretary of state.
Duties
The state Constitution addresses the duties of the secretary of state in Article VI, Section 4.
Under Article VI, Section 4(3):
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The secretary of state shall maintain official records of the executive branch and of the acts of the legislature, as provided by law. He shall keep the great seal of the state of Montana and perform any other duties provided by law. |
Divisions
The secretary of state's Office is composed of five divisions:
- The Administrative Rules Services Division is the administrative law arm of the Secretary's office, filing rule notices, rule adoptions, and interpretations, and publishing the state register twice a month. The state's code of regulations, the Administrative Rules of Montana, is updated quarterly.
- The Business Services Division registers business entities, trademarks, assumed business names, and liens made under the Uniform Commercial Code and Federal Food Security Act.
- The Certification and Notaries Division licenses and trains notaries public and certifies documents.
- The Elections and Government Services division administers elections and voter registration. Campaign finance and lobbying is regulated by a separate agency, the Commissioner of Political Practices.
- The Records Management Bureau maintains the records of state and local governments.
Electoral history
2008
- 2008 Race for Secretary of State - Democratic Primary [1]
- Linda McCulloch ran unopposed in this contest
| 2008 Race for Secretary of State - General Election [2] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote Percentage | |
| Democratic Party |  a Linda McCulloch
| 49.3% | |
| Republican Party | Brad Johnson | 48.2% | |
| Constitution Party | Sieglinde Sharbono | 2.5% | |
| Total Votes | 473,851 | ||
Compensation
The state Constitution addresses compensation of executive officials in Article VI, Section 5.
Under Article VI, Section 5(1):
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Officers of the executive branch shall receive salaries provided by law. |
In 2010, the Montana Secretary of State was paid an estimated $79,129 according to the Council of State Governments.[3]
Contact information
Capitol Address:
Montana Secretary of State
Post Office Box 202801
Helena, MT 59620-2801
Phone: (406) 444-2034
Fax: (406) 444-3976
E-mail: sos@mt.gov
See also
- Linda McCulloch, Montana Secretary of State
- Governor of Montana
- Lieutenant Governor of Montana
- Attorney General of Montana
- Montana Constitution
External links
- Office of the Montana Secretary of State
- About the office of the Montana Secretary of State
- Wikipedia, Montana Secretary of State
Portions of this article were adapted from Wikipedia.
References
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