The secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a constitutional officer in the

executive branch The executive branch is the part of government which executes or enforces the law. Function The scope of executive power varies greatly depending on the political context in which it emerges, and it can change over time in a given country. In ...

of the

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

. Originally appointed under authority of the

English Crown This list of kings and reigning queens of the Kingdom of England begins with Alfred the Great, who initially ruled Wessex, one of the seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms which later made up modern England. Alfred styled himself king of the Anglo-Sax ...

pursuant to the Charter of the Massachusetts Bay Company, the office of secretary of the Commonwealth (equivalent to " secretaries of state" in other U.S. jurisdictions) became an elective one in 1780. Twenty-seven individuals have occupied the office of secretary of the Commonwealth over the ensuing centuries. The incumbent is William F. Galvin, a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

who has held the office since 1995.

Election

Term of office

The secretary of the Commonwealth is elected by the people on

Election Day Election day or polling day is the day on which general elections are held. In many countries, general elections are always held on a Saturday or Sunday, to enable as many voters as possible to participate; while in other countries elections ...

in November to four-year terms, and takes office on the third Wednesday of the January following a general election. There is no limit to the number of terms a secretary may hold. Institutionally speaking, the secretary of the Commonwealth is thus completely

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

of both the

governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

and General Court for the purpose of performing their official duties. These constitutional protections notwithstanding, the secretary may still be

impeached Impeachment is a process by which a legislative body or other legally constituted tribunal initiates charges against a public official for misconduct. It may be understood as a unique process involving both political and legal elements. In Eu ...

for misconduct or maladministration by the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...

and, if found guilty, removed from office by the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

Qualifications

Any person seeking election to the office of secretary of the Commonwealth must meet the following requirements: #Be at least eighteen years of age; #Be a registered voter in Massachusetts; #Be a Massachusetts resident for at least five years when elected; and #Receive 5,000 signatures from registered voters on nomination papers.

Vacancies

In the event of a vacancy in the office of secretary of the Commonwealth, the General Court is charged, if in session, with electing from among the eligible citizens of the Commonwealth a successor to serve the balance of the prior secretary's term in office. If, however, the vacancy occurs while the General Court is not in session, then responsibility for appointing a successor falls to the

. The appointment is not valid without the

advice and consent Advice and consent is an English phrase frequently used in List of enacting formulae, enacting formulae of bill (proposed law), bills and in other legal or constitutional contexts. It describes either of two situations: where a weak executive ...

of the

Governor's Council The governments of the Thirteen Colonies of British America developed in the 17th and 18th centuries under the influence of the British constitution. The British monarch issued colonial charters that established either royal colonies, propriet ...

Powers and duties

The Secretary of the Commonwealth oversees the Corporations Division, the Elections Division, the Massachusetts Archives, the Massachusetts Historical Commission, the Public Records Division, the Securities Division, as well as the State Records Center.

List of secretaries of the Commonwealth (1780 to present)

Notes

References

* *

External links

Official site
* . (Various documents). {{U.S. State Secretaries of State * Lists of Massachusetts politicians