The secretary of state of Iowa is the commissioner of elections of the U.S. state of Iowa. A constitutional officer, the officeholder is elected every four years. The Office of the Secretary of State is divided into four divisions: Elections and Voter Registration, Business Services, Administrative Services, and Communications and Publications.
Elections and Voter Registration deals with supervising the 99 county auditors, elections, and voter registration. The division of the office helps the county auditors in telling them which election practices work best. The division also helps in increasing voter registration. The Business Services Division is a records center for businesses in Iowa. The Administrative Services Division and the Communications and Publications Division is involved in scheduling and providing media information, preservation of documents, recordkeeping, and publishing the Iowa Official Register and the Iowa Official Directory of Federal, State and County Officers. The Secretary of State's office is housed in the Lucas State Office Building in Des Moines.
List of secretaries of state of Iowa # Image Name Took office Left office Political party1Elisha Cutler Jr.18461848Democratic2Josiah H. Bonney18481850Democratic3George W. McCleary18501856Democratic4Elijah Sells18561863Republican5James Wright18631867Republican6Ed Wright18671873Republican7Josiah T. Young18731879Republican8John A. T. Hull18791885Republican9Frank D. Jackson18851891Republican10William M. McFarland18911897Republican11George L. Dobson18971901Republican12William B. Martin19011907Republican13William C. Hayward19071913Republican14William S. Allen19131919Republican15Walter C. Ramsay19191928Republican16Edward M. Smith19291931Republican17G. C. Greenwalt19311933Republican18Ola Babcock Miller19331937Democratic19Robert E. O'Brien19371939Democratic20Earl G. Miller19391943Republican21Wayne M. Ropes19431947Republican22Rollo H. Bergeson19471949Republican23Melvin D. Synhorst19491965Republican24Gary L. Cameron19651966Democratic25Melvin D. Synhorst19671980Republican26Mary Jane Odell19801987Republican27Elaine Baxter19871995Democratic28Paul Pate19951999Republican29Chet Culver19992007Democratic30Michael Mauro20072011Democratic31Matt Schultz20112015Republican32Paul Pate2015IncumbentRepublican
References
Office of the Secretary of State Iowa Official Register 2005-2006 History of the Office