When you hear "Secretary of State" do you picture federal officers such as Henry Kissinger or Hillary Clinton? I think of a person who represents the United States to nations around the world, but did you know that there are 47 (yes, 47) other secretaries of state? If they don't represent their state to the world, what do they do?
iVoterGuide believes that informing voters of the often-overlooked offices of government can be a driving point of change in elections. Every election matters. And so does every race on the ballot because they ALL represent you and me! So today, let's look at the role of secretaries of state.
In 35 states, the secretary is elected. In the 12 remaining states, the governor or state legislature appoints them. Every state has their own secretary excluding Alaska, Hawaii, and Utah. In these states, the Lieutenant Governor fulfills the role the secretary would hold. You may also hear the secretaries of state in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia are referred to as the Secretary of Commonwealth.
Secretary of State vs. Secretaries of State
It can be hard to differentiate the federal secretary of state from the other secretaries of state within the nation. It is easier to simply remember that amongst other jobs, the federal secretary of state serves as the president's chief foreign affairs officer. However, the responsibilities of the state's individual secretaries of state vary widely across the nation.
Job of Secretaries of State
The secretaries of state within each state mostly fulfill administrative roles such as keeping state records. They oversee certain committees and are also involved in legislative bills, keeping public records, and some even serve as Board Members for Museums. Perhaps the most important role of the secretaries of state is that of chief election officer. In this role, the secretaries will oversee and supervise elections, so who serves in this role is vital to election integrity!
As a chief election officer, the Secretary of State controls almost every aspect of voting. They determine how elections are run and how they are certified. They even control how the voter registration databases are kept and publish election manuals, including the maintenance of the voter rolls for when people move, die or in any other way no longer meet the requirements to vote. A critical role of the chief election officer is that of investigator. When allegations of wrongdoing in elections are made, it is the job of the secretaries of state to investigate the claim.
Why Does it Matter
The Heritage Foundation has found approximately 1,513 instances of recent voter fraud. It's as sad as it is true—America's election integrity has drastically declined. While the media often portrays voter fraud as an evident, blatant crime, the truth is, fraudulent voting can easily go unrecognized as it can simply be an election official overlooking a duplicate vote. We have all overlooked duplicate words in our sentences or missing letters in our words, but how bad would it be to make that mistake when reviewing votes?
How do the secretaries of state tie in with election fraud? Remember, they are the chief election officers. Secretaries of State have the potential to affect every single election in a state and can be one of the main lines of defense against voting fraud. And in 35 states, you get to vote directly for them.
Biblical Voting
How do you know who to pick? Who can you trust to maintain the integrity of your state's elections? Exodus 18:21 says to,
"…select capable men from all the people- men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain- and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens."
America needs help. Our nation needs men in office who fear God and are trustworthy and honest. What better place to start electing godly, honest leaders than your own state's chief election officer. The influence of this position spreads into administrative roles, campaigns, and more. Vote for a candidate whose influence will be trustworthy, honest, and God-fearing!
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