Arkansas Secretary of State

Arkansas Secretary of State. The Arkansas Secretary of State is one of the seven constitutional offices in the US state of Arkansas, serving as the chief elections official, custodian of the Arkansas State Capitol building, and keeper of the Arkansas State Seal. The office is responsible for maintaining the official records of the state, including the Arkansas Constitution and the Arkansas Code. The Secretary of State also serves on the Arkansas Board of Apportionment alongside the Governor of Arkansas and the Attorney General of Arkansas.

History

The office of the Arkansas Secretary of State was established in 1836, when Arkansas became the 25th state to join the United States of America. The first Secretary of State was Robert A. Watkins, who served from 1836 to 1838. Since then, the office has been held by numerous individuals, including Cully A. Cobb, who served from 1913 to 1917 and was a member of the Arkansas Democratic Party. The Secretary of State has played a significant role in the state's history, including the American Civil War, when Arkansas seceded from the United States and joined the Confederate States of America. The office has also been involved in the Civil Rights Movement, with Secretaries of State such as Kelly Bryant, who served from 1963 to 1967 and was a supporter of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Election and succession

The Arkansas Secretary of State is elected to a four-year term in the Arkansas general election, which is held every four years on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The election is typically held alongside other state and federal elections, including the United States presidential election and the United States Senate election in Arkansas. The Secretary of State must be at least 25 years old, a resident of Arkansas for at least seven years, and a registered voter in the state. In the event of a vacancy, the Governor of Arkansas appoints a replacement to serve until the next general election, as specified in the Arkansas Constitution and the Arkansas Code. The Secretary of State is also a member of the National Association of Secretaries of State and the Arkansas State Board of Election Commissioners.

Duties and responsibilities

The Arkansas Secretary of State has numerous duties and responsibilities, including serving as the chief elections official for the state. The Secretary of State is responsible for maintaining the official records of the state, including the Arkansas Constitution and the Arkansas Code, as well as the records of the Arkansas General Assembly. The office also oversees the Arkansas State Capitol building and the Arkansas State Seal, and is responsible for issuing notary public commissions and trademark registrations. The Secretary of State is also a member of the Arkansas Board of Apportionment, which is responsible for redrawing the state's legislative districts every ten years following the United States Census. The office works closely with other state agencies, including the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration and the Arkansas Department of Education.

List of officeholders

There have been numerous individuals who have served as the Arkansas Secretary of State, including Robert A. Watkins, Cully A. Cobb, and Kelly Bryant. Other notable Secretaries of State include Nelson Peacock, who served from 1967 to 1971 and was a member of the Arkansas Republican Party, and Bill McCuen, who served from 1971 to 1975 and was a member of the Arkansas Democratic Party. The current Secretary of State is John Thurston, who was elected in the 2018 Arkansas general election and took office on January 15, 2019. Other officeholders have included Shirley Manning, who served from 1975 to 1979, and Vince Foster, who served from 1979 to 1981 and later became a member of the Clinton Administration.

Office and divisions

The Arkansas Secretary of State is headquartered in the Arkansas State Capitol building in Little Rock, Arkansas. The office is divided into several divisions, including the Elections Division, which is responsible for overseeing the state's elections, and the Business and Commercial Services Division, which is responsible for issuing business licenses and trademark registrations. The office also has a Administrative Services Division, which is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the office, and a Communications Division, which is responsible for handling media inquiries and issuing press releases. The Secretary of State also works closely with other state agencies, including the Arkansas Department of State Police and the Arkansas Department of Information Systems. The office is a member of the National Association of Secretaries of State and the Arkansas State Board of Election Commissioners. Category:State secretaries of state in the United States