The Mississippi secretary of state is an officer of Mississippi originally established under the Article IV, §14 of Mississippi Constitution of 1817, and was reestablished under Article V, §133 of the Mississippi Constitution of 1890.
Several African Americans served in the office during the Reconstruction era. The current secretary of state is Michael Watson.
Contents
History
The Office of Secretary of State of Mississippi was initially created by the state's original 1817 constitution, which stipulated in Article IV, Section 14, "A Secretary of State shall be appointed, who shall continue in office during the term of two years. He shall keep a fair register of all the official acts and proceedings of the Governor, and shall, when required, lay the same, and all papers, minutes, and vouchers relative thereto, before the General Assembly, and shall perform such other duties as may be required by law." From its inception, the office was also responsible for receiving election results. The Mississippi Legislature initially elected the holders of the office, with the first secretary of state, Daniel Williams, being chosen on December 11, 1817. The 1832 constitution stipulated that the secretary was to be popularly elected to serve a two-year term. The 1869 constitution extended the term to four years. During the Reconstruction era from 1869 to 1878, the office was continuously held by black men.
The state's 1890 constitution modified the position in Article V, Section 133, stipulating, "There shall be a Secretary of State, who shall be elected as herein provided. He shall be at least twenty-five years of age, a citizen of the state five years preceding the day of his election, and he shall continue in office during the term of four years, and shall be keeper of the capitol; he shall keep a correct register of all official acts and proceedings of the Governor; and shall, when required, lay the same, and all papers, minutes, and vouchers relative thereto, before the Legislature, and he shall perform such other duties as may be required of him by law. He shall receive such compensation as shall be prescribed." The document also made the officer an ex officio member of the State Board of Education. In 1982 the constitution was amended, removing the secretary from the board effective July 1, 1984. In 1978 the legislature voted abolish the office of state land commissioner—which supervised public lands—and assign its responsibilities to the secretary of state effective January 1980. The secretary has been responsible for the publishing of the Mississippi Official and Statistical Register since 1931.
Duties and responsibilities
The secretary of state is elected to serve a four-year term without term limits. The constitution designates the secretary as the "Keeper of the Capitol" and stipulates that they receive and maintain all election results. It also requires all state commissions to be "attested" by the secretary. Most of the specific duties of the office are determined by the State Legislature, including enforcing regulations for certain businesses, managing public lands, and publishing state documents.
The Office of the Secretary of State is composed of eight divisions:
The Business Services & Regulation Division is responsible for chartering corporations and other business entities, registering liens under the Uniform Commercial Code, issuing apostilles, and regulating notaries public. This division also publishes the Mississippi Administrative Bulletin, which is the official gazette for all regulations made by state agencies.
The Public Lands Division administers all public lands, including land forfeited in tax foreclosures, lands reserved for school use, tidelands held under the public trust doctrine, and lands held by state agencies.
The Elections Division administers elections, and monitors campaign finance and lobbying activities.
The Charities Division regulates charities and investigates charity fraud.
The External Affairs Division oversees the office's relations with the state legislature and businesses in the state.
The Policy and Research Division is responsible for reviewing and suggesting revisions to laws and policies administered by the secretary of state.
The Publications Division oversees the office's educational outreach programs, manages its public relations, and issues state documents, such as the Official and Statistical Register.