Nevada State Library and Archives

  Secretary of State

Records of the Secretary of State

Agency history:
The office of Secretary of State was created by the Nevada State Constitution.  The Secretary of State is an elected position within the Executive branch of state government.  Secretaries serve four-year terms and are elected in the same general elections as the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Treasurer, and Controller.  An executive officer may serve no more than two terms of office or more than once if he has previously held the office by election or appointment.  The Secretary is required to maintain his office in the seat of government (Carson City).

The Secretary is responsible for maintaining the official records of the acts of the Nevada Legislature and of the executive branch of state government, and for providing access to those records. In addition, the Secretary serves as a member of the State Board of Prison Commissioners, the State Board of Examiners, the State Records Committee, the State Advisory Committee on Participatory Democracy, and the Executive Branch Audit Committee.

Duties:

The duties of the Secretary can be divided into the following functions:

General:

• Keeps a true record of the Official Acts of the Legislative and Executive departments of the government
• Attests to all official acts and proceedings of the Governor and affixes the seal of the State, with proper attestations, to all commissions, pardons, and other public instruments to which the signature of the governor is required
• Keeps the official bond of the State Treasurer
• Maintains the State Advanced Directives Registry
• Maintains the State Video Service Provider Certificates of Authority 

Elections:

• Certifies all statewide candidates and ballot questions and reports and certifies primary and general election results
• Supervises state and local elections
• Registers and files candidate contribution and expenditure reports
• Administers the state’s Confidential Address Program for victims of domestic violence

Commercial Recordings:

• Registers trade names, trademarks, professional corporations and associations, and rights of publicity
• Records Uniform Commercial Code statements and documents

Notaries:

• Appoints, trains, and regulates Notaries Public
• Administers the state’s digital signature laws
• Notarizes apostilles (documents to be used in countries participating in the Hague Convention, such as company bylaws, transcripts, marital status, etc.)

Securities:

• Regulates the state’s securities industry and enforces securities law
• Licenses and regulates athletes’ agents

The Secretary of State is authorized to appoint an executive assistant and up to five deputies to perform all the duties required of the Secretary.

•     ­ Political Parties and Voter Registration
•     ­ Ballots and Voting Systems
•     ­ Campaign Practices
•     ­ Interesting Facts About Voting in Nevada  

Photo credits: 
Top:  Eugene Howell, Secretary of State from 1895-1903.  Courtesy of Nevada State Archives, NSO-0047.
Bottom:  Secretary of State William Greathouse and his staff.  Photo is undated; Greathouse was Secretary from 1923-1937.  Courtesy of Nevada State Archives, NSO-0040.