North Carolina Secretary of State

The North Carolina Secretary of State is an elected official in the U.S. state of North Carolina, heading the Department of the Secretary of State, which oversees many of the economic and business-related operations of the state government. Unlike in many states, the Secretary of State does not oversee state elections.[1]

Secretary of State of North Carolina
Incumbent
Elaine Marshall
since January 1, 1997 (1997-01-01)
Member ofCouncil of State
SeatRaleigh, North Carolina
Term lengthFour years
Inaugural holderJames Glasgow
FormationNovember 12, 1776 (1776-11-12)
Salary$125,676
WebsiteOfficial Site, Facebook

The position of Secretary of State is, behind only the position of Governor, the oldest government office in the state of North Carolina, dating back to 1665 as the record keeper for the Province of Carolina. The position of North Carolina Secretary of State has, since American independence in 1776, historically had a very low rate of turnover. Only eight individuals held the office during the first hundred years of statehood; William Hill served as secretary for 46 years continuously, from 1811 until his death in 1857.[2] Remarkably, in the 20th century, Thad A. Eure broke even this record, holding the post for 53 consecutive years, from 1936 to 1989.[1]

From 1776 to 1868, the Secretary of State was elected by the state legislature. Under the Constitutions of 1868 and 1971, the Secretary of State is elected every four years by a plurality of the popular vote.[1]

Duties

The Secretary of State is part of the Executive Branch of the North Carolina government.[3] The duties of the Secretary of State are defined by law. Currently, those duties include the following, according to the Secretary of State's website:[4]

The Office of the Secretary of State works to support economic growth, promote the public trust, fulfill statutory mandates by providing initial infrastructure for corporate organizations and transactions, and protecting citizens and businesses from misrepresentation and fraud by providing public access to accurate and timely information, through law enforcement and through the issuance of professional credentials. The department fosters a well-informed citizenry, business community, and government, by promoting a responsive, transparent, competitive, and ethical business climate.

Among other duties, the Secretary of State is preserving the Constitution of North Carolina. Unlike many other states, the North Carolina Secretary of State does not have any duties with regard to elections.[5]

List of Secretaries of State
William L Saunders
Thad Eure
Rufus L. Edmisten

The following is a list of the North Carolina Secretaries of State, the years they served, the counties they were from and political party when known:[6][7]

North Carolina Manual

Since 1874, the Secretary of State has published a book that summaries the political history of North Carolina and serves as a guide to for legislatures. This book is called the North Carolina Manual. The book is published in time for the first General Assembly session. Some of these books have been uploaded into Google Books and the Internet Archive. They are also available at the State Library of North Carolina Digital Collection.[11]

  • 1874, Wheeler, John H., ed. (1874). The Legislative Manual and Political Register of the State of North Carolina. Raleigh: Josiah Turner, Jr., State Printer and Binder. Retrieved April 9, 2019., Compiled by authority of the General Assembly of North Carolina, under the direction of W. H. Howerton, Secretary of State, John Wheeler was previously the Treasurer of the State, and Author of the History of North Carolina. This book is also located in Wikimedia Commons.
  • 1905, A Pocket Manual for the Use of Members of the General Assembly of North Carolina. 1905.. This book includes a foreword by the Secretary of State, J. Bryan Grimes
  • 1907, A Pocket Manual for the Use of Members of the General Assembly of North Carolina. 1907.. This book includes a foreword by the Secretary of State, J. Bryan Grimes
  • 1913, Connor, R.D.D. (1913). A Manual of North Carolina (PDF). Raleigh: North Carolina Historical Commission. Retrieved April 27, 2019., Connor was secretary of the North Carolina Historical Commission
  • 1919, Connor, R.D.D., ed. (1919). North Carolina Manual, 1919., printed by Edwards and Broughton, State Printers, 1818
  • 1921, Connor, R.D.D. (1921). North Carolina Manual.
  • 1923, House, R.B., ed. (1923). North Carolina Manual., R.B. House was the archivist of the North Carolina Historical Society
  • 1935, London, H.M., ed. (1935). North Carolina Manual., H. M. London was the legislative reference librarian
  • 1953, North Carolina Manual (PDF). 1953., Thad Eure, Secretary of State
  • 1955, North Carolina Manual (PDF). 1955., Thad Eure, Secretary of State
  • 1975, Cheney, John L. Jr., ed. (1975). North Carolina Government, 1585-1974, A Narrative and Statistical History., Secretary of State Thad A. Eure issued this history in 1975
  • 1977, Lewis, J.D. (1977). "North Carolina Manual" (PDF). Carolana.com. Retrieved November 3, 2019., Thad Eure, Secretary of State
  • 2007, North Carolina Manual. 2007. Includes a foreword by the Secretary of State, Elaine F. Marshall

References
  1. Smith, Clyde (2006). "North Carolina Secretary of State". NCPedia. Retrieved October 5, 2019.
  2. York, Maury (1988). "William Hill". NCPedia. Retrieved October 5, 2019.
  3. "North Carolina Constitution of 1971". 1971. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  4. "Duties of the North Carolina Secretary of State". NC.GOV. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  5. "Chapter 147, section 36, Duties of the Secretary of State" (PDF). NCLEG.NET. 1971. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  6. Connor, R.D.D., ed. (1913). A Manual of North Carolina (PDF). Raleigh: North Carolina Historical Commission. p. 441. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
  7. Wheeler, John H., ed. (1874). The Legislative Manual and Political Register of the State of North Carolina. p. 441. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  8. William Henry Howerton Family Papers and Account Books
  9. Grant, D. F. (1986). "Joseph Engelhard". NCpedia. Retrieved October 5, 2019.
  10. Steelman, Bennett L. (1979). "Octavius Coke". NCpedia.
  11. Lewis, J.D. "North Carolina Manuals". Carolina.com. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
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