Secretary of State of Wisconsin
| Secretary of State of Wisconsin | |
|---|---|
| Term length | Four years, no term limits |
| Inaugural holder | Thomas McHugh (politician) |
| Formation | June 7, 1848 |
| Salary | $72,551[1] |
| Website | https://www.sos.state.wi.us/ |
The Secretary of State of Wisconsin is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state of Wisconsin, and the second in the order of succession to the office of Governor of Wisconsin, behind the Lieutenant Governor. Twenty-eight individuals have held the office of Secretary of State, two of whom have held non-consecutive terms.[2] The incumbent is Doug La Follette, a Democrat first elected for a single four-year term in 1974 and reelected since 1982.[3]
Election and term of office
The Secretary of State is elected on Election Day in November, and takes office on the first Monday of the next January.[4] Originally, the Secretary of State's term lasted for two years; since a 1967 amendment, however, the term has lasted four years.[5] There is no limit to the number of terms a Secretary of State may hold.
In the event of a vacancy in the office of the Secretary of State, the Governor may appoint a replacement to fill the remainder of the term; this has occurred twice: upon the death of Fred R. Zimmerman, Louis Allis was appointed to fill the remainder of the term, and Glenn Wise was appointed to fill the entire of the next term to which Zimmerman had been elected.[2]
The Secretary of State may be removed from office through an impeachment trial.[6] They may also choose to resign from office. No Secretary of State has ever been impeached, and none have resigned.[2]
Powers and duties
 | This article needs to be updated. (December 2018) |
The Secretary of State is required by the state constitution to keep a fair record of the official acts of the legislative and executive branches of Wisconsin's government[5] and to keep the Great Seal of the State of Wisconsin and affix it to the official acts of the Governor in authentication, the approbation of laws excepted.[7][8][9] The Secretary of State is responsible for filing oaths of office, deeds for state lands, and incorporation papers and other documents for cities and villages; for issuing apostilles and notary authentications; and for preserving the original copies of laws.[10] Aside from his or her approximately 100 statutory duties, the Secretary of State is also a member of the Wisconsin Board of Commissioners of Public Lands by virtue of the state constitution.[11][12][13]
The Secretary of State is second in the order of succession to the office of the Governor of Wisconsin; under the current terms of the constitution, if the Governor dies, resigns or is removed from office and the office of the Lieutenant Governor is vacant, the Secretary of State becomes Governor, whereas in the vacancy of the lieutenant governorship and the absence from the state, impeachment or inability to serve due to illness, the Secretary of State merely becomes acting governor. These terms came into effect with an amendment to the constitution in 1979; originally, in all of these events, the Secretary of State simply became acting governor.[14] While Secretaries of State have at times briefly acted as governor, none have ever become governor, or acted as governor in circumstances that would have caused them to become governor had the 1979 amendment been in effect at the time.[2]
See also
References
- ^ https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/misc/lrb/lrb_reports/lrb_reports_3_3.pdf
- ^ a b c d Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, ed. (2007). "Chapter 8: Statistical Information on Wisconsin". State of Wisconsin 2007–2008 Blue Book. Madison: Wisconsin Legislature Joint Committee on Legislative Organization. pp. 721–722.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); External link in|chapterurl=|chapterurl=ignored (|chapter-url=suggested) (help) - ^ https://www.sos.state.wi.us/
- ^ Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, ed. (2007). "Chapter 3: Wisconsin Constitution (Article XIII)". State of Wisconsin 2007–2008 Blue Book. Madison: Wisconsin Legislature Joint Committee on Legislative Organization. p. 234.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); External link in|chapterurl=|chapterurl=ignored (|chapter-url=suggested) (help) - ^ a b Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, ed. (2007). "Chapter 3: Wisconsin Constitution (Article VI)". State of Wisconsin 2007–2008 Blue Book. Madison: Wisconsin Legislature Joint Committee on Legislative Organization. pp. 215–216.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); External link in|chapterurl=|chapterurl=ignored (|chapter-url=suggested) (help) - ^ Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, ed. (2007). "Chapter 3: Wisconsin Constitution (Article VII)". State of Wisconsin 2007–2008 Blue Book. Madison: Wisconsin Legislature Joint Committee on Legislative Organization. p. 218.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); External link in|chapterurl=|chapterurl=ignored (|chapter-url=suggested) (help) - ^ Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, ed. (2007). "Chapter 6: Executive Branch". State of Wisconsin 2007–2008 Blue Book. Madison: Wisconsin Legislature Joint Committee on Legislative Organization. pp. 508–509.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); External link in|chapterurl=|chapterurl=ignored (|chapter-url=suggested) (help) - ^ https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/constitution/wi/000231/000006
- ^ https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/constitution/wi/000238/000005
- ^ https://www.sos.state.wi.us/
- ^ http://bcpl.wisconsin.gov
- ^ https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/constitution/wi/000235/000008
- ^ https://www.sos.state.wi.us/
- ^ Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, ed. (2007). "Chapter 3: Wisconsin Constitution (Article V)". State of Wisconsin 2007–2008 Blue Book. Madison: Wisconsin Legislature Joint Committee on Legislative Organization. p. 214.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); External link in|chapterurl=|chapterurl=ignored (|chapter-url=suggested) (help)
