WHAT DOES THE SECRETARY OF STATE DO?

Lots of people know what our legislature does. Ditto for our city council. But what about the body that operates “in between” these two? County Commissions oversee our counties, just as our Councils oversee towns and the Legislature oversees the state. They have a lot of power over things that impact our day-to-day lives.

Every midterm election, Wyoming voters elect the five statewide executive officials who help lead state government: the Governor, Secretary of State, State Auditor, State Treasurer, and the Superintendent of Public Instruction. 

The Secretary of State is a powerful and important elected official in the state, but their role and responsibilities can be a bit obscure. As Wyoming's chief elections officer and the state's keeper of official records, the Secretary of State plays a central role in ensuring government transparency and administering elections.

The Secretary of State:

• is responsible for running statewide elections and confirming election results. 
• certifies political candidates by verifying that they are eligible to run for office.
• approves ballot questions for statewide ballot initiatives and referendums.
• oversees all rules and regulations passed by state agencies.
• safekeeps official state records such as the Wyoming Constitution and other official documents.
• sits on numerous boards and commissions that oversee state government, including the State Loan and Investments Board, which manages natural resources and the state’s trust funds.
• registers and approves businesses and organizations to operate in the state.
• enforces state law regulating the investment (securities) industry.

WHY THE SECRETARY OF STATE MATTERS

While much of the work of the Secretary of State can be viewed as administrative, they take on the significant responsibility of managing Wyoming’s elections. They ensure that Wyoming’s elections are free and fair and work to maintain voters’ trust. They work closely with the County Clerk of each Wyoming county to administer statewide elections.

The Secretary of State has a lot of say on who, and what, ends up on our ballot. For example, for the upcoming primary and general elections, a gubernatorial candidate was removed from the ballot for not meeting the constitutional requirements of being a resident of Wyoming for 5 consecutive years. 

Meanwhile, the Secretary of State’s office has approved one of the first ballot initiatives in decades, which aims to dramatically slash property taxes that fund our communities. There are concerns though the ballot language used by the Secretary of State inaccurately portrays how much revenue these services will lose, which makes the ballot measure appear more favorable to voters.

The Secretary of State is also responsible for many of the day-to-day administrative functions that keep Wyoming's government and economy operating. The office administers business filings for corporations, LLCs, nonprofits, and even trademarks. They maintain the official records that allow businesses and organizations to legally operate in Wyoming.

Their office also oversees campaign finance reporting, where candidates, political action committees (PACs), political parties, and other political organizations must disclose contributions and expenditures so the public can see who is funding Wyoming candidates and how money is being spent. 

The Secretary of State’s office may not have tons of impact in our day to day lives, but they do play a significant role in ensuring that when it's time to vote for the elected officials that do, that those results are correctly verified and honored.

Learn more about the candidates running for Wyoming’s Secretary of State and other elections here.