New Hampshire Secretary of State

New Hampshire Secretary of State
General information
Office Type:	Partisan
Office website:	Official Link
2013 FY Budget:	$751,339
Term limits:	None
Structure
Length of term:	2 years
Authority:	New Hampshire Constitution, Article 67
Selection Method:	Elected by New Hampshire State Legislature
Current Officeholder
Name:	William Gardner
Officeholder Party:	Democratic
Assumed office:	1976
Compensation:	$110,114
Other New Hampshire Executive Offices
Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Commissioner of Education • Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner • Labor Commissioner • Director of Fish & Game • Public Utilities Commission

The Secretary of State for New Hampshire is a constitutional officer in the state of New Hampshire and serves as the exclusive head of the New Hampshire Department of State. The secretary of state performs duties of both a legislative branch as well as an executive branch officer. The secretary of state is elected biannually by ballot of all members of the New Hampshire General Court assembled together. The secretary of state is required to prepare and distribute election-related items as provided in the state Election code. The secretary of state has the custody of the State Seal.

Current officeholder

The current officeholder is William Gardner (D). He was first elected to the statewide position by the New Hampshire State Legislature in 1976.

Authority

The state Constitution addresses the office of secretary of state in Article 67, Secretary, Treasurer, Etc..

Under Article 67:

The secretary and treasurer shall be chosen by joint ballot of the senators and representatives assembled in one room.

Qualifications

There are no specific qualifications for this office.

Appointments

See also: States with gubernatorial term limits, State legislatures with term limits

As with other state executive officers, the Secretary of State for New Hampshire is elected by a joint session of both houses of the State Legislature. There is no term limit imposed on this statewide position. (New Hampshire Constitution, Part II, Article 67)

Divisions

The Secretary of State's office is composed of the following main divisions:

• Administration
• Archives and Records Management
• Corporation Division
• Elections Division
• Securities Regulation
• Uniform Commercial Code (UCC)
• Vital Records

State budget

The budget for the Secretary of State's office in Fiscal Year 2013 was $751,339.

Compensation

See also: Compensation of state executive officers

In 2012, the New Hampshire Secretary of State was paid an estimated $110,114. This figure comes from the Council of State Governments.

Contact information

Capitol Address:

State House, Room 204
Concord, N.H. 03301

Phone: (603) 271-3242
Fax: (603) 271-6316
Email: Elections@sos.state.nh.us

See also

• William Gardner, New Hampshire Secretary of State
• Governor of New Hampshire
• Attorney General of New Hampshire
• New Hampshire Constitution

External links

Suggest a link

• Office of the New Hampshire Secretary of State