Secretary of State of Arizona

The Secretary of State of Arizona is an elected position in the U.S. state of Arizona. Since Arizona has no lieutenant governor, the Secretary stands first in the line of succession to the governorship. The Secretary also serves as acting governor whenever the governor is incapacitated or out of state. The Secretary is the keeper of the Seal of Arizona, and administers oaths of office^[1] The current secretary is Ken Bennett.

Duties

The Secretary is in charge of a wide variety of other duties as well. The Secretary is in charge of four divisions:

• The Secretary is in charge of the Arizona Advance Directive Registry, which is the official state repository of advance directives such as living wills, Medical Powers of Attorney, and Mental Health Powers of Attorney.

• The Business Services Division is responsible for registering trademarks, trade names, and liens under the Uniform Commercial Code. This division also issues apostilles, files intergovernmental agreements and notices of public meetings, and regulates notaries public, employment agencies, sports agents, out-of-state landlords, telemarketers, and charitable organizations. The Business Services Division is responsible for chartering partnerships; corporations, on the other hand, are the responsibility of the Arizona Corporation Commission.^[1]

• The Elections Division is responsible for administering all elections in the state, and certifying their results. This division also regulates lobbying and campaign finance.

• The Public Services Division is responsible for filing bills from the Arizona Legislature, registering and publishing administrative regulations, and publishes the Arizona Blue Book, which is an informational guide to the government of Arizona.^[2]

Officeholders

Secretaries since Arizona's statehood:^[3]

• Sidney P. Osborn (1912–1918)
• Mit Simms (1919–1920)
• Ernest R. Hall (1921–1922)
• James H. Kerby (1923–1928)
• John C. Callaghan (1929)
• I.P. "Ike" Fraizer (1929–1930)
• Scott White (1931–1932)
• James H. Kerby (1933–1938)
• Harry M. Moore (1939–1942)
• Dan E. Garvey (1942–1948)
• Curtis M. Williams (1948–1949)
• Wesley Bolin (1949–1977)
• Rose Mofford (1977–1988)
• James "Jim" Hyrum Shumway (1988–1991)
• Richard D. Mahoney (1991–1995)
• Jane Dee Hull (1995–1997)
• Betsey Bayless (1997–2003)
• Janice K. Brewer (2003–2009)
• Ken Bennett (2009–present)

References

External links

• Official homepage of the Secretary of State of Arizona