California Secretary of State
| California Secretary of State | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Compensation: | $163,910 |
| 2024 FY Budget: | $193,307,000 |
| Term limits: | 2 terms |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | California Constitution, Article 5, Section 11 |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder | |
California Secretary of State
Shirley Weber | |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | November 3, 2026 |
| Last election: | November 8, 2022 |
| Other California Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Controller • Superintendent of Public Instruction • Agriculture Secretary • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Secretary • Industrial Relations Director • Public Utilities Commission | |
The California Secretary of State is an elected state executive officer established by the California Constitution. He or she serves as the state's chief election officer, keeps the state's key documents including the constitution and Great Seal, and keeps the state archives. Additionally, the secretary of state registers businesses in the state, commissions notaries public, and manages state ballot initiatives. The secretary of state is elected to four-year terms, concurrent with the other constitutional officers of California, and is restricted to two terms.[1]
California has a Democratic triplex. The Democratic Party controls the offices of governor, secretary of state, and attorney general.
Current officeholder
The office of the California Secretary of State is currently held by Shirley Weber (D). She was appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on January 18, 2021, to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Alex Padilla (D). She was unanimously confirmed by the California legislature on January 28, 2021.[2][3]
Authority
The office of secretary of state is established by the California Constitution.
California Constitution, Article 5, Section 11
|
The Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Controller, Secretary of State, and Treasurer shall be elected at the same time and places and for the same term as the Governor. |
Qualifications
Although there are no office-specific requirements for the office, each candidate for secretary of state must:[4]
- Be a registered voter
- Be registered with their party for at least three months
- Not have been registered with a different political party in the last 12 months
- Not have been previously term-limited out
Elections
Secretaries of state are elected on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in federal midterm election years (e.g. 2018, 2022, 2026, etc.).[5] Like all constitutional state officers, the secretary of state assumes office on the first Monday in the new year following the election.
California Constitution, Article 5, Section 11
|
The Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Controller, Secretary of State, and Treasurer shall be elected at the same time and places and for the same term as the Governor. No Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Controller, Secretary of State, or Treasurer may serve in the same office for more than 2 terms. |
2022
General election
General election for California Secretary of State
Incumbent Shirley Weber defeated Robert Bernosky in the general election for California Secretary of State on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Shirley Weber (D) | 60.1 | 6,462,164 |
 | Robert Bernosky (R) | 39.9 | 4,298,530 | |
| Total votes: 10,760,694 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for California Secretary of State
The following candidates ran in the primary for California Secretary of State on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Shirley Weber (D) | 58.9 | 4,016,798 |
| ✔ | | Robert Bernosky (R) | 18.8 | 1,281,587 |
 | Rachel Hamm (R) | 12.1 | 822,978 | |
 | James Paine (R) | 3.7 | 254,222 | |
 | Gary Blenner (G) | 3.0 | 205,630 | |
| Raul Rodriguez Jr. (R) | 2.6 | 176,059 | |
 | Matthew Cinquanta (Independent) | 0.9 | 59,481 | |
 | Desmond Silveira (No party preference) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 235 | |
| Total votes: 6,816,990 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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2018
General election
General election for California Secretary of State
Incumbent Alex Padilla defeated Mark Meuser in the general election for California Secretary of State on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Alex Padilla (D) | 64.5 | 7,909,521 |
 | Mark Meuser (R) | 35.5 | 4,362,545 | |
| Total votes: 12,272,066 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for California Secretary of State
The following candidates ran in the primary for California Secretary of State on June 5, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Alex Padilla (D) | 52.6 | 3,475,633 |
| ✔ | | Mark Meuser (R) | 31.0 | 2,047,903 |
 | Ruben Major (D) | 5.4 | 355,036 | |
| Raul Rodriguez Jr. (R) | 5.0 | 330,460 | |
 | Gail Lightfoot (L) | 2.4 | 155,879 | |
 | Michael Feinstein (G) | 2.1 | 136,725 | |
 | C.T. Weber (Peace and Freedom Party) | 0.9 | 61,375 | |
 | Erik Rydberg (G) | 0.7 | 48,705 | |
| Total votes: 6,611,716 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2014
| Secretary of State of California, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Alex Padilla |
53.6% | 3,799,711 | |
| Republican | Pete Peterson | 46.4% | 3,285,334 | |
| Total Votes | 7,085,045 | |||
| Election results via California Secretary of State | ||||
Term limits
Per Article 5, Section 11 of the California Constitution, secretaries of state face an absolute limit of two terms in office.
California Constitution, Article V, Section 11:
| The Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Controller, Secretary of State, and Treasurer shall be elected at the same time and places and for the same term as the Governor. No Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Controller, Secretary of State, or Treasurer may serve in the same office for more than 2 terms. |
Vacancies
The vacancy procedure for the office of secretary of state is determined by the state Constitution. When a vacancy occurs, the governor nominates a replacement to serve the remainder of the term under the next election. The appointee must be confirmed by a majority of both house of the California legislature. Until the replacement is approved, the former officeholder's chief deputy exercises the office.
California Constitution, Article 5, Section 5b
|
Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Controller, Treasurer, or Attorney General, or on the State Board of Equalization, the Governor shall nominate a person to fill the vacancy who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority of the membership of the Senate and a majority of the membership of the Assembly and who shall hold office for the balance of the unexpired term. In the event the nominee is neither confirmed nor refused confirmation by both the Senate and the Assembly within 90 days of the submission of the nomination, the nominee shall take office as if he or she had been confirmed by a majority of the Senate and Assembly; provided, that if such 90-day period ends during a recess of the Legislature, the period shall be extended until the sixth day following the day on which the Legislature reconvenes. |
Duties
As of January 12, 2021, the stated duties of the office included:[6]
| “ |
|
” |
Divisions
As of January 12, 2021, divisions within the Secretary of State's Office included:[8]
- Business Programs
- Elections Division
- Administration Office
- California State Archives
- Management Services Division
- Political Reform Division
State budget
- See also: California state budget and finances
The budget for the Office of California Secretary of State in the 2023-2024 Fiscal Year was $193,307,000.[9]
Compensation
- See also: Compensation of state executive officers
The salaries of California's elected executives are determined by the California Citizens Compensation Commission, a seven-member board appointed by the governor to six-year terms. The commission was established after voters passed Proposition 112, an amendment to the California Constitution, in 1990. Commissioners meet prior to June 30 of each year to determine salary recommendations with changes effective the following December. From 2001 to 2013, the commission voted to increase salaries or benefits five times and decreased or made no changes to salaries eight times.[10]
2022
In 2022, the officer's salary was $163,910, according to the Council of State Governments.[11]
2021
In 2021, the secretary of state received a salary of $157,310, according to the Council of State Governments.[12]
2020
In 2020, the secretary of state received a salary of $157,310 according to the Council of State Governments.[13]
2019
In 2019, the secretary of state received a salary of $151,260 according to the Council of State Governments.[14]
2018
In 2018, the secretary of state received a salary of $146,854 according to the Council of State Governments.[15]
2017
In 2017, the secretary of state received a salary of $142,577 according to the Council of State Governments.[16]
2016
In 2016, the secretary of state received a salary of $137,093 according to the Council of State Governments.[17]
2015
In 2015, the secretary of state received a salary of $133,100 according to the Council of State Governments.[18]
2014
In 2014, the secretary received a salary of $130,490 according to the Council of State Governments.[19]
2013
In 2013, the secretary received a salary of $130,490 according to the Council of State Governments.[20]
2010
In 2010, the secretary received a salary of $130,490 according to the Council of State Governments.[21]
Historical officeholders
| List of officeholders from 1849-Present[22] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Tenure | Party | ||
| 1 | William Van Voohies | 1849-1853 |  Democratic
| ||
| 2 | James W. Denver | 1853-1855 | Democratic
| ||
| 3 | Charles H. Hempstead | 1855-1856 | Democratic
| ||
| 4 | David F. Douglass | 1856-1858 |  American Independent Party
| ||
| 5 | Ferris Forman | 1858-1860 | Democratic
| ||
| 6 | Johnson Price | 1860-1862 | Democratic Leocompton
| ||
| 7 | William H. Weeks | 1862-1863 |  Republican
| ||
| 8 | A. A. H. Tuttle | 1863-1863 | Republican
| ||
| 9 | Benhamin B. Redding | 1863-1867 | Republican Unionist
| ||
| 10 | H. L. Nichols | 1867-1871 | Democratic
| ||
| 11 | Drury Melone | 1871-1875 | Republican
| ||
| 12 | Thomas Beck | 1875-1880 | Democratic
| ||
| 13 | Daniel M. Burns | 1880-1883 | Republican
| ||
| 14 | Thomas L. Thompson | 1883-1887 | Democratic
| ||
| 15 | William C. Hendricks | 1887-1891 | Democratic
| ||
| 16 | Edwin G. Waite | 1891-1894 | Republican
| ||
| 17 | Albert Hart | 1894-1895 | Republican
| ||
| 18 | Lewis H. Brown | 1895-1899 | Republican
| ||
| 19 | Charles F. Curry | 1899-1911 | Republican
| ||
| 20 | Frank C. Jordan | 1911-1940 | Republican
| ||
| 21 | Paul Peek | 1940-1943 | Democratic
| ||
| 22 | Frank M. Jordan | 1943-1970 | Republican
| ||
| 23 | H. P. Sullivan | 1970-1971 | Republican
| ||
| 24 | Edmund G. Brown Jr. | 1971-1975 | Democratic
| ||
| 25 | March Fong Eu | 1975-1994 | Democratic
| ||
| 26 | Tony Miller | 1994-1995 | Democratic
| ||
| 27 | Bill Jones | 1995-2003 | Republican
| ||
| 28 | Kevin Shelley | 2003-2005 | Democratic
| ||
| 29 | Cathy Mitchell | 2005-2005 | Democratic
| ||
| 30 | Bruce McPherson | 2005-2007 | Republican
| ||
| 31 | Debra Bowen | 2007-2015 | Democratic
| ||
| 32 | Alex Padilla | 2015-2021 | Democratic
| ||
| 33 | Shirley Weber | 2021-Present | Democratic
| ||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms California Secretary of State. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
Contact information
Capitol Address:
1500 11th Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 653-6814
See also
| California | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "About Us," accessed January 12, 2021
- ↑ California Office of the Governor, "Governor Newsom Formally Appoints Alex Padilla to the U.S. Senate and Nominates Dr. Shirley Weber as Secretary of State," January 18, 2021
- ↑ Politico, "California lawmakers confirm Weber as secretary of state," January 28, 2021
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Summary of Qualifications and Requirements for the Offices of Secretary of State, Controller, and Treasurer," accessed January 12, 2021
- ↑ California Elections Code, "Sections 1001-1003," accessed January 12, 2021
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "About the Agency," accessed January 12, 2021
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Contact Information," accessed January 12, 2021
- ↑ California Budget, "2023-24 Budget - 0890 Secretary of State," accessed December 6, 2023
- ↑ California Citizens Compensation Commission, "About the Commission," accessed January 12, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
- ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 22, 2022
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2020," accessed January 12, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2019," accessed January 12, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2018," accessed January 12, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2017," accessed January 12, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed November 14, 2014
- ↑ The Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2013, Table 4.11," accessed February 2, 2014
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2010 -- Table 4.11," accessed June 23, 2011
- ↑ National Governors Association, "California Secretary of State," accessed January 12, 2021
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