Idaho Secretary of State

	Idaho Secretary of State
	; ; ;
	General information
Office Type:	Partisan
Office website:	Official Link
Compensation:	$128,690
2024 FY Budget:	$14,764,600
Term limits:	None
	Structure
Length of term:	4 years
Selection Method:	Elected
	Current Officeholder(s)
	Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane; Republican Party; Assumed office: January 2, 2023
	Elections
Next election:	November 3, 2026
Last election:	November 8, 2022
	Other Idaho Executive Offices
	Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Controller • Superintendent of Public Instruction • Agriculture Director • Insurance Director • Director of Lands • Labor Director • Public Utilities Commission

The Idaho Secretary of State is a state executive officer in the Idaho government. The secretary is responsible for running the state's elections, licensing businesses, trademarks, notaries and other professions and various other duties involving the maintenance and publication of official documents. The office of secretary of state is established in the state constitution, and like other Idaho constitutional officers, is elected by the people to four-year terms during federal midterm election years (2006, 2010, 2014, etc.).^[1]^[2]

Idaho has a Republican triplex. The Republican Party controls the offices of governor, secretary of state, and attorney general.

Current officeholder

The current Idaho Secretary of State is Phil McGrane (R). McGrane assumed office in 2023.

Authority

Section IV of the Idaho Constitution establishes the authority of the secretary of state.^[3]

The executive department shall consist of a governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state controller, state treasurer, attorney general and superintendent of public instruction, each of whom shall hold his office for four years beginning on the first Monday in January next after his election, commencing with those elected in the year 1946, except as otherwise provided in this Constitution. The officers of the executive department shall, during their terms of office, reside within the state. Their official office shall be located in the county where the seat of government is located, there they shall keep the public records, books and papers. They shall perform such duties as are prescribed by this Constitution and as may be prescribed by law, provided that the state controller shall not perform any post-audit functions. .

Qualifications

Per Article IV, Section 3 of the Idaho Constitution, a candidate for secretary of state is required to be:

at least 25 old
a United States citizen
a resident of Idaho at least two years prior to the election

Idaho Constitution, Article IV, Section 3

No person shall be eligible ... to the office of secretary of state, state controller, or state treasurer, unless he shall have attained the age of twenty-five years; ... In addition to the qualifications above described each of the officers named shall be a citizen of the United States and shall have resided within the state or territory two years next preceding his election.

Elections

Idaho state government organizational chart

Idaho elects secretaries of state to four-year terms in federal midterm election years, that is, even years that are not presidential election years. Thus, 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018 are all election years. Winners take office on the first Monday in the January following an election. Thus, January 3, 2011, and January 5, 2015, are inaugural days.^[4]

If two candidates ever tie in the general election, a joint session of the legislature chooses the winner by a majority vote.

Term limits

See also: States with gubernatorial term limits

There are no term limits for this office.

2022

See also: Idaho Secretary of State election, 2022

General election

General election for Idaho Secretary of State

Phil McGrane defeated Shawn Keenan and Garth Gaylord in the general election for Idaho Secretary of State on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Phil McGrane (R)	72.1	418,945
	Submit photo	Shawn Keenan (D)	27.4	159,189
	Submit photo	Garth Gaylord (Independent) (Write-in)	0.5	2,753

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 580,887
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Idaho Secretary of State

Shawn Keenan advanced from the Democratic primary for Idaho Secretary of State on May 17, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Shawn Keenan	100.0	31,807

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 31,807
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Idaho Secretary of State

Phil McGrane defeated Dorothy Moon and Mary Souza in the Republican primary for Idaho Secretary of State on May 17, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Phil McGrane	43.1	114,355
	Dorothy Moon	41.4	109,959
	Mary Souza	15.5	41,209

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 265,523
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Chad Houck (R)