Kentucky Secretary of State

Kentucky Secretary of State is the chief elections official and the chief Kentucky General Assembly's record-keeper, responsible for maintaining the official records of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, including the Kentucky State Capitol's historical documents. The office is established by the Kentucky Constitution and is one of the five constitutional offices in the state, along with the Governor of Kentucky, Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky, Kentucky State Treasurer, and Auditor of Public Accounts. The Secretary of State is also a member of the Kentucky Board of Elections and works closely with the Federal Election Commission to ensure compliance with federal election laws, such as the Help America Vote Act and the National Voter Registration Act.

History and constitutional basis

The office of the Secretary of State has its roots in the Kentucky Constitution, which was adopted in 1792 and established the office as one of the original constitutional offices. The first Secretary of State was James Wilkinson, who served from 1792 to 1796 and was a key figure in the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. Over the years, the office has undergone several changes, with the most significant being the adoption of the Kentucky Constitution in 1891, which expanded the powers and duties of the Secretary of State to include the administration of elections, as outlined in the National Association of Secretaries of State's guidelines. The Secretary of State has also worked closely with other state officials, such as the Attorney General of Kentucky and the Kentucky Commissioner of Education, to ensure the integrity of the state's elections and educational systems.

Powers and duties

The Secretary of State has a wide range of powers and duties, including the administration of elections, as mandated by the Help America Vote Act and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act. The office is responsible for maintaining the official records of the state, including the Kentucky State Capitol's historical documents, and for providing information to the public about the state's government and history, in partnership with organizations such as the National Archives and Records Administration and the Library of Congress. The Secretary of State also serves as the chief Notary Public for the state and is responsible for appointing and commissioning notaries public, as outlined in the Uniform Law Commission's guidelines. Additionally, the office works closely with the Federal Election Commission and the National Association of Secretaries of State to ensure compliance with federal election laws and to promote voter registration and education, through initiatives such as the National Voter Registration Act and the Help America Vote Act.

List of officeholders

There have been over 50 Secretaries of State in Kentucky's history, including notable figures such as James Wilkinson, John Breckinridge, and William S. Taylor, who served as the Governor of Kentucky from 1899 to 1900. Other notable Secretaries of State include Cassius Marcellus Clay, who was a prominent abolitionist and served as the United States Ambassador to Russia from 1861 to 1862, and Thruston Ballard Morton, who served as a United States Senator from 1957 to 1963 and was a key figure in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The current Secretary of State is Michael Adams, who was elected in 2019 and has worked closely with organizations such as the National Association of Secretaries of State and the Federal Election Commission to promote voter registration and education.

Elections and term of office

The Secretary of State is elected to a four-year term, as mandated by the Kentucky Constitution and the National Association of Secretaries of State's guidelines. The election is held in conjunction with the United States presidential election and the United States Senate election in Kentucky, and is overseen by the Federal Election Commission and the Kentucky Board of Elections. The Secretary of State must be at least 30 years old, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Kentucky for at least two years prior to election, as outlined in the Kentucky Constitution and the Uniform Law Commission's guidelines. The office is limited to two consecutive terms, and the Secretary of State is not eligible to serve as Governor of Kentucky or Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky while in office, as mandated by the Kentucky Constitution.

Office and administration

The Secretary of State's office is located in the Kentucky State Capitol building in Frankfort, Kentucky, and is organized into several divisions, including the Elections Division, the Business Filings Division, and the Publications Division. The office is responsible for maintaining the official records of the state, including the Kentucky State Capitol's historical documents, and for providing information to the public about the state's government and history, in partnership with organizations such as the National Archives and Records Administration and the Library of Congress. The Secretary of State also works closely with other state officials, such as the Attorney General of Kentucky and the Kentucky Commissioner of Education, to ensure the integrity of the state's elections and educational systems, and to promote voter registration and education, through initiatives such as the National Voter Registration Act and the Help America Vote Act.