secstatewa

The Office of the Secretary of State was established with the adoption of the Washington State Constitution in 1889. The Secretary of State is elected every four years and is second in the line of succession to the Office of the Governor. There have been 15 Secretaries of State since Statehood. 

The Secretary of State is the state's chief elections officer, chief corporations officer, and supervisor of the State Archives. Responsibilities of the Secretary of State include supervising state and local elections, filing and verifying initiatives and referendums, producing and distributing the state voters pamphlet, registering private corporations, limited partnerships, and trademarks, registering individuals, organizations and commercial fundraisers involved in charitable solicitations, administering the state's Address Confidentiality Program for survivors of domestic violence, collecting and preserving the historical records of the state, and making those records available, and more.