Secretary of State of Mississippi

History

The Office of Secretary of State of Mississippi was initially created by the state's original 1817 constitution, which stipulated in Article IV, Section 14, "A Secretary of State shall be appointed, who shall continue in office during the term of two years. He shall keep a fair register of all the official acts and proceedings of the Governor, and shall, when required, lay the same, and all papers, minutes, and vouchers relative thereto, before the General Assembly, and shall perform such other duties as may be required by law." From its inception, the office was also responsible for receiving election results. The Mississippi Legislature initially elected the holders of the office, with the first secretary of state, Daniel Williams, being chosen on December 11, 1817. The 1832 constitution stipulated that the secretary was to be popularly elected to serve a two-year term. The 1869 constitution extended the term to four years. During the Reconstruction era from 1869 to 1878, the office was continuously held by black men.

The state's 1890 constitution modified the position in Article V, Section 133, stipulating, "There shall be a Secretary of State, who shall be elected as herein provided. He shall be at least twenty-five years of age, a citizen of the state five years preceding the day of his election, and he shall continue in office during the term of four years, and shall be keeper of the capitol; he shall keep a correct register of all official acts and proceedings of the Governor; and shall, when required, lay the same, and all papers, minutes, and vouchers relative thereto, before the Legislature, and he shall perform such other duties as may be required of him by law. He shall receive such compensation as shall be prescribed." The secretary has been responsible for the publishing of the Mississippi Official and Statistical Register since 1931.

Duties and responsibilities

The secretary of state is elected to serve a four-year term without term limits. The constitution designates the secretary as the "Keeper of the Capitol" and stipulates that they receive and maintain all election results. It also requires all state commissions to be "attested" by the secretary. Most of the specific duties of the office are determined by the State Legislature, including enforcing regulations for certain businesses, managing public lands, and publishing state documents.

The Office of the Secretary of State is composed of eight divisions:

• The Business Services & Regulation Division is responsible for chartering corporations and other business entities, registering liens under the Uniform Commercial Code, issuing apostilles, and regulating notaries public. This division also publishes the Mississippi Administrative Bulletin, which is the official gazette for all regulations made by state agencies.
• The Public Lands Division administers all public lands, including land forfeited in tax foreclosures, lands reserved for school use, tidelands held under the public trust doctrine, and lands held by state agencies.
• The Elections Division administers elections, and monitors campaign finance and lobbying activities.
• The Charities Division regulates charities and investigates charity fraud.
• The External Affairs Division oversees the office's relations with the state legislature and businesses in the state.
• The Policy and Research Division is responsible for reviewing and suggesting revisions to laws and policies administered by the secretary of state.
• The Publications Division oversees the office's educational outreach programs, manages its public relations, and issues state documents, such as the Official and Statistical Register.
• The Securities Division enforces the state's Uniform Securities Laws and investigates securities fraud.

The secretary's salary is $90,000 per year, but is set to increase to $120,000 annually in 2024. They maintain an office on the first floor of the Mississippi State Capitol. Additional offices are maintained at the Capital Towers and Ladner Building in Jackson, and in Biloxi, Southaven, and Tupelo.

Secretaries of state

References

Works cited

References

1. "History of the MS Secretary of State". Mississippi Secretary of State.
2. Baldwin, DeeDee. (July 2022). "The First Black Legislators in Mississippi". Mississippi Department of Archives and History.
3. Klein, Jo Ann. (December 10, 1979). "Demise of land post ends an era". The Clarion Ledger.
4. Strachan, Ken. (March 23, 2017). "State Blue Books will be available in April". The Conservative.
5. "About us". Mississippi Secretary of State.
6. Clark, Eric. (December 2007). "The Government of Mississippi: How it Functions". Mississippi Department of Archives and History.
7. Pender, Geoff. (April 7, 2022). "Amid vetoes, Gov. Reeves lets pay raises for elected officials pass". Nonprofit Mississippi News.
8. Perlis, Wicker. (February 23, 2023). "Find out where Mississippi lawmakers, capitol staff, reporters eat while in Jackson". The Clarion-Ledger.
9. "Directions to MS Secretary of State's Office, Ladner Building and PERS Parking Garage". Mississippi Secretary of State.
10. Chandler, Clay. (January 17, 2014). "Capitol Towers lands offices". The Clarion-Ledger.