Indiana Secretary of State
Indiana Secretary of State | |
General information | |
Office Type: | Partisan |
Office website: | Official Link |
Compensation: | $91,707 |
2025 FY Budget: | $22,328,385 |
Term limits: | Eight out of 12 years |
Structure | |
Length of term: | 4 years |
Selection Method: | Elected |
Current Officeholder | |
Indiana Secretary of State
Diego Morales | |
Elections | |
Next election: | November 3, 2026 |
Last election: | November 8, 2022 |
Other Indiana Executive Offices | |
Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Comptroller • Examiner • Secretary of Education • Agriculture Director • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Director • Labor Commissioner • Utility Regulatory Commission |
The Secretary of State for Indiana is one of five statewide, elected constitutional officers created by Indiana's Constitution. The secretary is responsible for "maintenance of state records and preservation of the state seal." They also charter new businesses, regulates the securities industry within Indiana, runs state elections and provides a number of services to the state's automobile dealers.[1]
Indiana has a Republican triplex. The Republican Party controls the offices of governor, secretary of state, and attorney general.
Current officeholder
The current Indiana Secretary of State is Diego Morales (R). Morales assumed office in 2023.
Authority
The Indiana Secretary of State's powers, term of office, etc. are derived from Article VI of the Indiana Constitution.
Article 6, Section 1:
There shall be elected, by the voters of the state, a Secretary, an Auditor and a Treasurer of State... |
Qualifications
Candidates for secretary of state, as with all Indiana state and local offices, must be registered to vote. He or she must also file a "statement of economic interest" regarding any possible financial interests a candidate may have in the office. Additionally, there are a variety of factors that can disqualify a potential candidate for secretary of state, including:[2]
- Offering a bribe, threat or reward to procure their own election.
- Having been convicted of a felon.
- Having been previously removed from office.
- Being a member of the U.S. armed forces
Elections
Secretaries of state are elected to four-year terms during federal midterm election years (2022, 2026, 2030, etc.) and take office on January 1 in the year following their election.[3] Elections occur on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.[4]
2022
General election
General election for Indiana Secretary of State
Diego Morales defeated Destiny Scott Wells, Jeff Maurer, David Wetterer, and Andrew Straw in the general election for Indiana Secretary of State on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Diego Morales (R) | 54.1 | 999,893 | |
Destiny Scott Wells (D) | 40.2 | 742,624 | ||
Jeff Maurer (L) | 5.7 | 104,519 | ||
David Wetterer (G) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 107 | ||
Andrew Straw (Disability Party) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 36 |
Total votes: 1,847,179 | ||||
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Democratic convention
Democratic convention for Indiana Secretary of State
Destiny Scott Wells advanced from the Democratic convention for Indiana Secretary of State on June 18, 2022.
Candidate | ||
✔ | Destiny Scott Wells (D) |
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Republican convention
Republican convention for Indiana Secretary of State
Diego Morales defeated incumbent Holli Sullivan and David Shelton in the Republican convention for Indiana Secretary of State on June 18, 2022.
Candidate | ||
Holli Sullivan (R) | ||
✔ | Diego Morales (R) | |
David Shelton (R) |
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Kyle Conrad (R)
- Paul Hager (R)
Libertarian convention
Libertarian convention for Indiana Secretary of State
Jeff Maurer advanced from the Libertarian convention for Indiana Secretary of State on March 5, 2022.
Candidate | ||
✔ | Jeff Maurer (L) |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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2018
General election
General election for Indiana Secretary of State
Incumbent Connie Lawson defeated Jim Harper and Mark Rutherford in the general election for Indiana Secretary of State on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Connie Lawson (R) | 56.2 | 1,263,074 | |
Jim Harper (D) | 40.6 | 911,546 | ||
Mark Rutherford (L) | 3.2 | 71,234 | ||
Other/Write-in votes | 0.0 | 905 |
Total votes: 2,246,759 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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2014
Secretary of state of Indiana, 2014 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
Republican | Connie Lawson Incumbent | 57.1% | 762,223 | |
Democratic | Beth White | 39.5% | 527,379 | |
Libertarian | Karl Tatgenhorst | 3.4% | 45,393 | |
Total Votes | 1,334,995 | |||
Election results via Indiana Secretary of State |
Term limits
Term limits for the secretary of state are defined in Article 6, Section 1 of the Indiana Constitution, which prohibits a secretary of state for holding the position for more than eight years in any given 12 year period.
Indiana Constitution, Article 6, Section 1:
There shall be elected, by the voters of the state, a Secretary, an Auditor and a Treasurer of State, who shall, severally, hold their offices for four years. They shall perform such duties as may be enjoined by law; and no person shall be eligible to either of said offices, more than eight years in any period of twelve years. |
Vacancies
The governor fills vacancies in the office of secretary of state by appointment; the appointee serves until the next election.[5]
Indiana Constitution, Article 5, Section 18
When, during a recess of the General Assembly, a vacancy shall happen in any office, the appointment to which is vested in the General Assembly; or when, at any time, a vacancy shall have occurred in any other State office, or in the office of Judge of any Court; the Governor shall fill such vacancy, by appointment, which shall expire, when a successor shall have been elected and qualified. |
Duties
The secretary is responsible for "maintenance of state records and preservation of the state seal." He or she also charters new businesses, regulates the securities industry within Indiana, runs state elections and provides a number of services to the state's automobile dealers. The secretary of state also provides a variety of educational materials, from guides instructing entrepreneurs how to start a new business to voter and candidate registration information.[6]
Divisions
The Office of the Secretary of State has four divisions:
- Election Division - responsible for overseeing elections, registering candidates, and monitoring campaign finance.
- Business Services Division - charters corporations, registers trademarks, notaries public, and liens under the Uniform Commercial Code, and issues apostilles.
- Securities Division - oversees the state's securities industry, as well as mortgage brokers, retirement facilities, and collection agencies. It is also responsible for administering state and federal securities laws.
- Dealer Services Division - responsible for the oversight and regulation of motor vehicle dealerships, including dealers for automobiles, watercraft, off-road vehicles and automobile salvage.[7]
State budget
- See also: Indiana state budget and finances
The Secretary of State's budget was $22,328,385 for Fiscal Year 2025.[8]
Compensation
- See also: Compensation of state executive officers
The salaries of executive officers in Indiana are determined by the Indiana State Legislature. In 2007, the Indiana Senate passed SB 401, which tied annual salary increases to increases received by state employees. State executive officials are not eligible for salary increases if state employees do not receive increases to their salaries.[9]
2022
In 2022, the officer's salary was $91,707, according to the Council of State Governments.[10]
2021
In 2021, the secretary of state received a salary of $89,514, according to the Council of State Governments.[11]
2020
In 2020, the secretary of state received a salary of $86,654, according to the Council of State Governments.[12]
2019
In 2019, the secretary of state received a salary of $82,640, according to the Council of State Governments.[13]
2018
In 2018, the secretary of state received a salary of $82,640, according to the Council of State Governments.[14]
2017
In 2017, the secretary of state received a salary of $81,020, according to the Council of State Governments.[15]
2016
In 2016, the secretary of state received a salary of $78,584, according to the Council of State Governments.[16]
2015
In 2015, the secretary of state received a salary of $76,892, according to the Council of State Governments.[17]
2014
In 2014, the secretary received a salary of $76,892, according to the Council of State Governments.[18]
2013
In 2013, the secretary received a salary of $74,580, according to the Council of State Governments.[19]
2012
In 2012, the secretary received a salary of $72,974, according to the Council of State Governments.
Historical officeholders
There have been 63 secretaries of state since 1816. Of the 63 officeholders, 36 were Republicans and 23 were Democrats.[20]
List of Former Officeholders from 1816-Present | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | Name | Tenure | Party | ||
1 | Robert A. New | 1816-1825 | Dem-Rep | ||
2 | William W. Wick | 1825-1829 | |||
3 | James Morrison | 1829-1833 | |||
4 | William Sheets | 1833-1837 | Whig | ||
5 | William J. Brown | 1837-1841 | |||
6 | William Sheets | 1841-1845 | Whig | ||
7 | John H. Thompson | 1845-1849 | Whig | ||
8 | Charles H. Test | 1849-1851 | |||
9 | Nehemiah Hayden | 1853-1855 | |||
10 | Erasmus B. Collins | 1855-1857 | |||
11 | Daniel McClure | 1857-1858 | |||
12 | Cyrus L. Dunham | 1858-1861 | |||
13 | William A. Peelle | 1861-1863 | |||
14 | James S. Athon | 1863-1865 | |||
15 | Nelson Trusler | 1865-1869 | |||
16 | Max F. A. Hoffman | 1869-1871 | |||
17 | Norman Eddy | 1871-1872 | |||
18 | John H. Farquar | 1872-1873 | |||
19 | William W. Curry | 1873-1875 | |||
20 | John E. Neff | 1875-1879 | |||
21 | John G. Shanklin | 1879-1881 | |||
22 | Emanuel R. Hawn | 1881-1883 | |||
23 | William R. Myers | 1883-1887 | |||
24 | Charles F. Griffin | 1887-1891 | |||
25 | Claude Matthews | 1891-1893 | |||
26 | Myron D. King | 1893-1893 | |||
27 | William R. Myers | 1893-1895 | |||
28 | William D. Owen | 1895-1899 | |||
29 | Union B.Hunt | 1899-1903 | |||
30 | Daniel E. Storms | 1903-1906 | |||
31 | Fred A. Sims | 1906-1910 | |||
32 | L.G. Ellingham | 1910-1914 | |||
33 | Homer L. Cook | 1914-1916 | |||
34 | Ed Jackson | 1916-1917 | |||
35 | William A. Roach | 1917-1920 | |||
36 | Ed Jackson | 1920-1924 | |||
37 | Fred Schortemeier | 1924-1928 | |||
38 | Otto G. Fifield | 1928-1930 | |||
39 | Frank Mayr, Jr. | 1930-1934 | |||
40 | August G. Mueller | 1934-1938 | |||
41 | James M. Tucker | 1938-1942 | |||
42 | Maurice G. Robinson | 1942-1942 | |||
43 | Rue J. Alexander | 1942-1946 | |||
44 | Thomas E. Bath, Jr. | 1946-1948 | |||
45 | Charles F. Fleming | 1948-1950 | |||
46 | Leland L. Smith | 1950-1952 | |||
47 | Crawford F. Parker | 1952-1956 | |||
48 | Frank A. Lenning | 1956-1958 | |||
49 | John R. Walsh | 1958-1960 | |||
50 | Charles O. Hendricks | 1960-1964 | |||
51 | John D. Bottorff | 1964-1966 | |||
52 | Edgar D. Whitcomb | 1966-1968 | |||
53 | William N. Salin | 1968-1970 | |||
54 | Larry A. Conrad | 1970-1978 | |||
55 | Edwin J. Simcox | 1978-1986 | |||
56 | Birch Evan Bayh III | 1986-1989 | |||
57 | Joseph H. Hogsett | 1989-1994 | |||
58 | Sue Ann Gilroy | 1994-2002 | |||
59 | Todd Rokita | 2003-2010 | |||
60 | Charlie White | 2011-2012 | |||
61 | Connie Lawson | 2012-2021 | |||
62 | Holli Sullivan | 2021-2023 | |||
63 | Diego Morales | 2023-Present |
Recent news
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Contact information
Capitol Address:
Indiana Secretary of State
201 Statehouse
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Phone: (317) 232-6531
Fax: (317) 233-3283
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Indiana Secrectary of State, "About the office," accessed January 21, 2021
- ↑ Indiana Code, "IC 3-8-1-1,5,33," accessed January 21, 2021
- ↑ Justia, "2019 Indiana Code, Title 4. State Offices and Administration, Article 5. Secretary of State, Chapter 1. Secretary of State, 4-5-1-1. Commencement of term; bond," accessed January 25, 2022
- ↑ Indiana Code, "IC 3-10-2-1," accessed January 21, 2021
- ↑ Indiana General Assembly, "Indiana Constitution Article 5, Section 18," accessed January 21, 2021
- ↑ Indiana Secretary of State, "About the office," accessed January 21, 2021
- ↑ Indiana Secretary of State, "About the office," accessed January 21, 2021
- ↑ Indiana State Budget Agency, "2023-2025 The Whole Budget Report," accessed December 6, 2023
- ↑ Indiana General Assembly, "Senate Enrolled Act No. 401," accessed January 21, 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, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2020," accessed January 21, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2019," accessed January 21, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2018," accessed January 21, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2017," accessed January 21, 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
- ↑ Indiana State Library, Secretaries of State, accessed January 21, 2021
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