Secretary of State of Wisconsin
Encyclopedia
The Secretary of State of Wisconsin is an officer of the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state
of Wisconsin
, and the second in the order of succession
of the 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.
in November, and takes office on the first Monday of the next January. Originally, the secretary of state's term lasted for two years; since a 1967 amendment, however, the term has lasted four years. 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 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.
The secretary of state may be removed from office through an impeachment trial. He may also choose to resign from office. No secretary of state has ever been impeached, and none have resigned.
, files deeds for state lands, preserves the original copies of laws, files incorporation papers and other documents for cities and villages, and issues notary authentications.
The secretary of state is also the second in the order of succession
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.
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.
The Secretary of State is also a member of the Wisconsin Board of Commissioners of Public Lands
.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, and the second in the order of succession
Order of succession
An order of succession is a formula or algorithm that determines who inherits an office upon the death, resignation, or removal of its current occupant.-Monarchies and nobility:...
of the Governor of Wisconsin
Governor of Wisconsin
The Governor of Wisconsin is the highest executive authority in the government of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The position was first filled by Nelson Dewey on June 7, 1848, the year Wisconsin became a state...
, behind the Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin
The Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin is the first person in the order of succession of Wisconsin's executive branch, thus serving as governor in the event of the death, resignation, removal, impeachment, absence from the state, or incapacity due to illness of the Governor of Wisconsin...
.
Twenty-eight individuals have held the office of Secretary of State, two of whom have held non-consecutive terms.
Election and term of office
The secretary of state is elected on Election DayElection Day (United States)
Election Day in the United States is the day set by law for the general elections of public officials. It occurs on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The earliest possible date is November 2 and the latest possible date is November 8...
in November, and takes office on the first Monday of the next January. Originally, the secretary of state's term lasted for two years; since a 1967 amendment, however, the term has lasted four years. There is no limit
Term limit
A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method to curb the potential for monopoly, where a leader effectively becomes "president for...
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 Zimmerman, Louis Allis
Louis Allis
Louis Allis was an industrialist.From December 16, 1954 until January 3, 1955, Louis Allis was Secretary of State of Wisconsin following the death of Fred R...
was appointed to fill the remainder of the term, and Glenn Wise
Glenn M. Wise
Glenn Miller Wise was a secretary, statistician, and Republican politician, who served as Wisconsin's first female Secretary of State from 1955-57.- Background :...
was appointed to fill the entire of the next term to which Zimmerman had been elected.
The secretary of state may be removed from office through an impeachment trial. He may also choose to resign from office. No secretary of state has ever been impeached, and none have resigned.
Powers and duties
The secretary of state is required to keep a record of all the official acts of the legislative and executive branches of Wisconsin's government and to keep the Great Seal of the State of Wisconsin and affix it to the official acts of the governor. The secretary of state—or, in practice, the Office of the Secretary of State that he heads—also publishes the state laws, files oaths of officeOath of office
An oath of office is an oath or affirmation a person takes before undertaking the duties of an office, usually a position in government or within a religious body, although such oaths are sometimes required of officers of other organizations...
, files deeds for state lands, preserves the original copies of laws, files incorporation papers and other documents for cities and villages, and issues notary authentications.
The secretary of state is also the second in the order of succession
Order of succession
An order of succession is a formula or algorithm that determines who inherits an office upon the death, resignation, or removal of its current occupant.-Monarchies and nobility:...
of the Governor of Wisconsin
Governor of Wisconsin
The Governor of Wisconsin is the highest executive authority in the government of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The position was first filled by Nelson Dewey on June 7, 1848, the year Wisconsin became a state...
; under the current terms of the constitution, if the governor dies, resigns or is removed from office and the office of the lieutenant governor
Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin
The Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin is the first person in the order of succession of Wisconsin's executive branch, thus serving as governor in the event of the death, resignation, removal, impeachment, absence from the state, or incapacity due to illness of the Governor of Wisconsin...
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.
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.
The Secretary of State is also a member of the Wisconsin Board of Commissioners of Public Lands
Wisconsin Board of Commissioners of Public Lands
The Wisconsin Board of Commissioners of Public Lands is a Wisconsin state agency responsible for managing the Wisconsin Trust Funds for public education financing, and for managing remaining Wisconsin Trust Lands...
.