Louisiana Secretary of State

Louisiana Secretary of State. The Louisiana Secretary of State is one of the constitutional officers of the U.S. state of Louisiana, serving as the chief elections officer, the keeper of the Great Seal of Louisiana, and the custodian of the state's historical records, including those of the Louisiana State Legislature and the Louisiana Governor. The office is also responsible for maintaining the state's Uniform Commercial Code filings and overseeing the state's Notary Public system, which includes New Orleans Notarial Archives. The current secretary of state is Kyle Ardoin, who has been in office since 2018 and has worked with Louisiana State University and the National Association of Secretaries of State.

History

The office of the Louisiana Secretary of State was established in 1846, when Louisiana became a state, with Henry A. Bullard serving as the first secretary of state, working closely with Governor Isaac Johnson and the Louisiana State Capitol building. The secretary of state has played a significant role in the state's history, including the American Civil War, when William Henry Trescott served as the secretary of state for the Confederate States of America, and the Reconstruction Era, when James G. Taliaferro worked with the Freedmen's Bureau and Radical Republicans like Thaddeus Stevens. The office has also been involved in the state's Civil Rights Movement, with secretaries of state like Wade O. Martin Jr. working with Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. The secretary of state has also worked with other notable figures, including Huey Long, Earl Long, and Edwin Edwards, as well as institutions like the Louisiana State Museum and the Historic New Orleans Collection.

Duties and responsibilities

The Louisiana Secretary of State is responsible for a wide range of duties, including overseeing the state's elections, maintaining the state's business filings, and preserving the state's historical records, which are stored at the Louisiana State Archives and the Louisiana Historical Association. The secretary of state also serves as the keeper of the Great Seal of Louisiana and is responsible for authenticating official documents, such as those from the Louisiana Supreme Court and the Louisiana Court of Appeal. The office also oversees the state's Notary Public system, which includes the Louisiana Notary Association and the National Notary Association, and maintains the state's Uniform Commercial Code filings, working with organizations like the American Bar Association and the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. The secretary of state works closely with other state agencies, including the Louisiana Department of State Civil Service and the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, as well as federal agencies like the Federal Election Commission and the National Archives and Records Administration.

List of officeholders

There have been over 50 secretaries of state in Louisiana's history, including Henry A. Bullard, William Henry Trescott, James G. Taliaferro, and Wade O. Martin Jr.. Other notable secretaries of state include Alvin Batiste, who served from 1952 to 1956 and worked with Governor Robert F. Kennon and the Louisiana State Legislature, and Paul Hardy, who served from 1972 to 1976 and worked with Governor Edwin Edwards and the Louisiana Democratic Party. The current secretary of state is Kyle Ardoin, who has been in office since 2018 and has worked with Governor John Bel Edwards and the Louisiana Republican Party. Other officeholders have included Fox McKeithen, James H. "Jim" Brown, and Jay Dardenne, who have all played important roles in the state's history, working with institutions like the Louisiana State University System and the Tulane University.

Elections and succession

The Louisiana Secretary of State is elected to a four-year term, with elections held in even-numbered years, as specified in the Louisiana Constitution and the Louisiana Election Code. The secretary of state must be at least 25 years old, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Louisiana for at least two years prior to election, as required by the Louisiana Secretary of State's office. In the event of a vacancy, the governor appoints a replacement to serve until the next election, as specified in the Louisiana Governmental Code and the Louisiana Administrative Code. The secretary of state is also responsible for overseeing the state's elections, including the Louisiana gubernatorial election and the United States presidential election in Louisiana, working with organizations like the National Association of Secretaries of State and the Federal Election Commission.

Organization and divisions

The Louisiana Secretary of State's office is organized into several divisions, including the Elections Division, the Commercial Division, and the Archives Division, which are all headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The office also has regional offices in New Orleans, Louisiana, Shreveport, Louisiana, and Lafayette, Louisiana, and works with institutions like the Louisiana State Library and the Louisiana State Museum. The secretary of state is assisted by a number of deputy secretaries and other staff members, including the Louisiana Secretary of State's Chief of Staff and the Louisiana Secretary of State's General Counsel, who work with organizations like the American Bar Association and the National Association of Secretaries of State. The office is also responsible for maintaining the state's Uniform Commercial Code filings and overseeing the state's Notary Public system, which includes the Louisiana Notary Association and the National Notary Association.