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Massachusetts Secretary of State
| Massachusetts Secretary of State | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Term limits: | None |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | Massachusetts General Laws, Title 2, Chapter 9, Section 1 |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder | |
 | |
| Name: | William Francis Galvin |
| Officeholder Party: | Democratic |
| Assumed office: | 1995 |
| Compensation: | $130,916 |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | November 4, 2014 |
| Last election: | November 2, 2010 |
| Other Massachusetts Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Secretary of Education • Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner • Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs • Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development • Public Utilities Commission | |
Contents |
Current officeholder
The current officeholder is William F. Galvin. He was first elected to the statewide position in 1994 and subsequently re-elected to the office three more times since then. His current term expires in 2014.[1]
Authority
The position of secretary is established by Title 2, Chapter 9, Section 1 of the General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts:
"There shall be a department of the state secretary under his supervision and control, organized as provided in this chapter." [2]
Qualifications
According to Article XVII of the Massachusetts Constitution, an executive officer of the commonwealth must "have been an inhabitant of this commonwealth five years next preceding his election or appointment."[3]
Elections
Massachusetts elects Secretaries of the Commonwealth in the midterm elections, that is, even years that are not Presidential election years. For Massachusetts, 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018 are all Secretary election years.
Vacancies
If the office of the secretary becomes vacant during annual or special session of the general court, the public elects a successor, otherwise, "it shall be supplied by the governor by appointment, with the advice and consent of the council."[3]
Duties
Role in the initiative process
Massachusetts is one of the few state whose guidelines do not require proponents to file initiatives with the secretary of commonwealth first. In this state, one must first assemble 10 registered electors to sponsor a ballot. Then, with the full text of the ballot in had, they must arrive at the Election Commission or the board of registrars to file the petition. This must be done by the first Wednesday of August.
After the proponents have proven that they are registered voters, the attorney general will write a summary for the ballot and have it returned to the proponents. This is when the secretary of commonwealth file both the ballot language and the summary of the ballot. The secretary will then prepare blank petition forms with the summary printed on it for signature gathering. These forms will be available within 14 days of the submission. In order to pick these petition forms up from the printer, proponents must have an authorization slip from the secretary of commonwealth. Enough petition forms will be supplied to gather more than the required amount, but petitioners may print as many extra copies as they like.
Signature Verification
Signatures must be filed by the first Wednesday of December. After the necessary number of signatures have been certified and subsequently filed with the secretary of the commonwealth, the secretary transmits the initiative petition to the House Clerk for legislative action on the first legislative day of the year.
Divisions
Divisions of the Secretary of Commonwealth include:
- Address Confidentiality Division
- Citizen Information Service
- Corporations Division
- Elections Division
- Massachusetts Archives
- Public Record/Lobbyist
- Registry of Deeds
- Securities Division
- State Records Center
Compensation
- See also: Compensation of state executive officers
2012
In 2012, the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth was paid an estimated $130,916. This figure comes from the Council of State Governments.
2010
In 2010, the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth was paid an estimated $130,916 according to the Council of State Governments.[4]
Contact information
Capitol Address:[5]
Secretary of the Commonwealth
One Ashburton Place, Room 1611
Boston, MA 02108-1512
Phone: (617) 727-7030
Toll Free Phone: 1-800-392-6090
Fax: (617) 742-4528
E-mail: cis@sec.state.ma.us
See also
- William F. Galvin, Massachusetts Secretary of State
- Governor of Massachusetts
- Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
- Attorney General of Massachusetts
- Massachusetts Constitution
External links
Portions of this article were adapted from Wikipedia.
References
- ↑ William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massaschusetts, "Home," accessed January 17, 2013
- ↑ Massachusetts Legislature, "General Laws Title 2, Chapter 9, Section 1," accessed January 17, 2013
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Massachusetts Legislature, "Constitution," accessed September 18, 2012
- ↑ The Council of State Governments,"The Book of States 2010 Table 4.11," retrieved June 25, 2011
- ↑ Massachusetts Secretary of State "Contact Us" Accessed January 17, 2013
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