Secretary of State of Alabama

Last updated
Secretary of State of Alabama
Incumbent
Wes Allen
since January 16, 2023
TypeSecretary of State
Term length 4 years
Constituting instrumentSections 114, 118, 132, and 134 of the Alabama Constitution and throughout The Code of Alabama
Formation1818
First holderHenry Hitchcock
Website www.sos.alabama.gov

The secretary of state of Alabama is one of the constitutional officers of the U.S. state of Alabama. The office actually predates the statehood of Alabama, dating back to the Alabama Territory. [1] From 1819 to 1901, [1] the secretary of state served a two-year term until the State Constitution was changed to set the term to four years. Up until 1868 the secretary of state was elected by the Alabama Legislature, but is now popularly elected. [1] The terms and over 1,000 duties of the office are defined by Sections 114, 118, 132, and 134 of the Alabama Constitution and throughout the Code of Alabama. [2]

Contents

The secretary of state must be at least 25 years old, a U.S. citizen for at least seven years, an Alabama state resident for at least five years, and a registered voter. The secretary of state and governor are on the same election cycle, and may only serve two consecutive terms; to hold the office for more terms, the office must be vacated for at least one term. The governor may appoint a replacement secretary of state in the case of resignation or death.

History

The Alabama Territory maintained an office of territorial secretary beginning in 1818. [3] In 1819, Alabama became a state, and the position of secretary of state became a legislatively-appointed office with the incumbent subject to a term of two years. In 1868, the office became popularly-elective. In 1901, Alabama adopted a new constitution which extended the term of office to four years. [4]

Duties and responsibilities

The office of secretary of state maintains several official state records including copies of state laws, gubernatorial orders, and incorporations, and is responsible for authenticating official copies of some documents. They are the keeper of the Great Seal of the State of Alabama, which is used in the authentication process. The secretary is also ex officio "Chief State Elections Official" for all federal, state, special, and constitutional electoral contests. [3]

Organization

The secretary of state's office retains a staff of about 40 people. [3] It is organized as follows:

The Alabama secretary of state's website also contains a public organizational chart that features a more in-depth depiction of each division and the titles of each staff member therein.

Officeholders

The current secretary of state is Republican Wes Allen from Pike County. Allen was elected secretary of state in November 2022, after serving one term in the Alabama House of Representatives from 2018 to 2022. Allen took office on January 16, 2023, succeeding John Merrill, who was first elected in 2014 and served from 2015 to 2023.

From 1944 to 1979, the office was held by five different women, the first of whom was Sibyl Pool. Agnes Baggett was the longest serving secretary of state, having been elected to three non-consecutive terms.

The parties are as follows:    Democraticic (D) and    Republican (R), or   Party Not Known.

Alabama secretaries of state
#ImageNameTermParty
1 Henry Hitchcock (Alabama).jpg Henry Hitchcock 1818–1819
2 Thomas A. Rodgers 1819–1821
3 James J. Pleasants 1821–1824
4 James Innes Thornton.jpg James I. Thornton 1824–1834
5 Edmund A. Webster 1834–1836
6 Thomas B. Tunstall 1836–1840
7 William Garrett 1840–1852Democratic
8 Vincent M. Benham 1852–1856Democratic
9 James H. Weaver 1856–1860
10 Patrick Henry Brittan 1860–1865Democratic
11 Albert Stanhope Elmore 11865
12 David D. Dalton 1865–1867Democratic
13 Micah Taul 1867–1868Democratic
14 Charles A. Miller 1868–1870Republican
15 Jabez J. Parker 1870–1872Democratic
16 Patrick Ragland 1872–1873Republican
17 Neander H. Rice 1873–1874Republican
18 Rufus King Boyd 1874–1878Democratic
19 William Wallace Screws.jpg William W. Screws 1878–1882Democratic
20 Ellis Phelan 1882–1885Democratic
21 Charles C. Langdon 1885–1890Democratic
22 Joseph D. Barron 1890–1894Democratic
23 James K. Jackson 1894–1898Democratic
24 Robert P. McDavid 1898–1903Democratic
25 HEFLIN, J. THOMAS. SENATOR LCCN2016861288 (cropped).jpg James Thomas Heflin 1903–1904Democratic
26 Edmund R. McDavid 1904–1907Democratic
27 Frank N. Julian 1907–1910Democratic
28 Cyrus B. Brown 1910–1915Democratic
29 John Purifoy 1915–1919Democratic
30 William Peyton Cobb 1919–1923Democratic
31 Sidney Herbert Blan 1923–1927Democratic
32 John Marvin Brandon 1927–1931Democratic
33 ...) College (...) girls, Cong. Jarman LCCN2016878064 (cropped) Pete Jarman.jpg Pete Jarman 1931–1935Democratic
34 David Howell Turner 1935–1939Democratic
35 John Marvin Brandon 1939–1943Democratic
36 David Howell Turner 1943–1944Democratic
37 Sibyl Pool 1944–1951Democratic
38 Agnes Baggett 1951–1955Democratic
39 Mary Texas Hurt Garner 1955–1959Democratic
40 Bettye Frink 1959–1963Democratic
41 Agnes Baggett 1963–1967Democratic
42 Mabel Sanders Amos 1967–1975Democratic
43 Agnes Baggett 1975–1979Democratic
44 Don Siegelman at Netroots Nation 2008 (cropped).jpg Don Siegelman 1979–1987Democratic
45 JohnBrowders Official congressional portrait.jpg Glen Browder 1987–1989Democratic
46 Fred Crawford 1989–1989Republican
47 Perry Hand 1989–1991Republican
48 Billy Joe Camp 1991–1993Democratic
49 James R. Bennett 2014.jpg Jim Bennett 1993–1998Democratic
49 Jim Bennett 21998–2003Republican
50 Nancy Worley 2003–2007Democraticic
51 Beth Chapman 2007–2013Republican
52 James R. Bennett 2014.jpg Jim Bennett 2013–2015Republican
53 John H Merrill - 2019.jpg John Merrill 2015–2023Republican
54 Wes Allen 2023–presentRepublican

Notes:

  1. First native-born Alabamian to serve as Secretary of State.
  2. Switched to Republican Party in 1998.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Official Homepage of the Alabama Secretary of State". Alabama Secretary of State. 15 Oct 2009. Retrieved 15 Oct 2009.
  2. ↑ Code of Alabama 1975. The Alabama Legislature. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 Browder, Glen (May 19, 2008). "Office of the Secretary of State". Encyclopedia of Alabama. Alabama Humanities Alliance. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  4. ↑ "History". Alabama Secretary of State. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
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