__NOTOC__ The secretary of the Commonwealth is a member of the

Virginia Governor's Cabinet The Virginia Governor's Cabinet is a body of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch of the Government of Virginia. The Cabinet is responsible for advising the Governor of Virginia. Cabinet officers are nominated by the governor ...

. The office is currently held by secretary Kelly Gee.

Duties of the secretary of the Commonwealth

# Serving as the Keeper of the Seal of the Commonwealth # Assisting the Governor in the appointment of thousands of individuals to serve on state boards and commissions # Issuing the Commissions of Notaries Public # Authenticating documents # Registering

lobbyists Lobbying is a form of advocacy, which lawfully attempts to directly influence legislators or government officials, such as regulatory agencies or judiciary. Lobbying involves direct, face-to-face contact and is carried out by various entities, in ...

# Issuing the "Bluebook," officially "The Report of the Secretary of the Commonwealth," an annual publication that identifies, "(a) the boards of visitors of all public institutions, and other boards appointed by the Governor; (b) all commissions issued under appointments made by the Governor, except commissions to notaries public; (c) all departments, boards, councils, commissions, and other collegial bodies created in the executive branch of state government; and (d) such other matters as the Governor requires." – The Report as defined by the Code of Virginia # Issuing a State Government Organization Chart # Handling

pardon A pardon is a government decision to allow a person to be relieved of some or all of the legal consequences resulting from a criminal conviction. A pardon may be granted before or after conviction for the crime, depending on the laws of the j ...

s and clemencies, restoration of civil rights of former felons,

extradition In an extradition, one Jurisdiction (area), jurisdiction delivers a person Suspect, accused or Conviction, convicted of committing a crime in another jurisdiction, into the custody of the other's law enforcement. It is a cooperative law enforc ...

, and

service of process Each legal jurisdiction has rules and discrete terminology regarding the appropriate procedures for serving legal documents on a person being sued or subject to legal proceedings. In the U.S. legal system, service of process is the procedure ...

. Although the secretary is involved, the governor is responsible for granting

pardons A pardon is a government decision to allow a person to be relieved of some or all of the legal consequences resulting from a criminal conviction. A pardon may be granted before or after conviction for the crime, depending on the laws of the j ...

clemency A pardon is a government decision to allow a person to be relieved of some or all of the legal consequences resulting from a criminal conviction. A pardon may be granted before or after conviction for the crime, depending on the laws of the j ...

, and restorations of rights, as well as authorizing extradition. The secretary of the Commonwealth's Office handles the paperwork on behalf of the Governor. In a unique twist of Virginia law, unlike other members of the Governor's Cabinet, the secretary of the Commonwealth does not resign immediately upon the inauguration of a new Governor, but remains in office for an additional week, serving a fixed term of four years, in order to ensure a smooth transition and ensure continuity in government.

History

Although the office has evolved over the years, the job has always involved the safekeeping of the Great Seal of the

Commonwealth of Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

. Under the

Virginia Constitution The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia is the document that defines and limits the powers of the state government and the basic rights of the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Like all other state constitutions, it is supreme ...

of 1901, the secretary of the Commonwealth was an elected post, along with the governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general. Under Virginia's current constitution, enacted in 1971, and with the creation of the Governor's Cabinet during the administration of Governor A. Linwood Holton Jr., the secretary of the Commonwealth has been an appointed member of the Governor's Cabinet.

List of secretaries of the Commonwealth (1788-present)

References

;Notes ;Bibliography *

External links

Official Website of the Secretary of the CommonwealthCode of Virginia regarding the Appointment and Term of Office of the Secretary of the CommonwealthCode of Virginia regarding the Duties of the Secretary of the Commonwealth
;Archival Records

at ttp://www.lva.virginia.gov/ The Library of Virginiabr>Archived Web Site of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, 2006–2010
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at ttp://www.virginiamemory.com/collections/archival_web_collections Virginia Memorybr>Archived Web Site of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, 2005–2006
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Virginia Memory
{{U.S. State Secretaries of State *Commonwealth