The secretary of state of Maine is a constitutional officer in the U.S. state of Maine and serves as the head of the Maine Department of State. The secretary of state performs duties of both a legislative branch as well as an executive branch officer. The role oversees areas that include motor vehicle licensing, state identification, record keeping, and corporate chartering.
The secretary of state is elected biannually by ballot of members of both houses of the Maine Legislature assembled together, identical in procedure to its neighbor, New Hampshire. The position is elected at the start of the first session of the Maine Legislature, which also sits for a two-year term, concurrent with the other constitutional officers of Maine.
The incumbent secretary of state is Shenna Bellows, who took office on January 4, 2021.
Duties The secretary of state oversees three distinct areas within their department. These coincide with the three bureaus under their aegis: the Maine Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions, and Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
Corporations, elections, and commissions The secretary of state has oversight over the conduct of elections, petition filing, and state-wide ballot initiatives. They are responsible for applying campaign conduct law against candidates for office. The secretary reviews petitions to verify authenticity of signatures for ballot initiatives under the Maine Constitution.
The secretary of state also oversees and applies the state's corporation law. Corporations seeking to be chartered in Maine do so through the secretary's office. The secretary has oversight over Maine's commercial law and application of the Uniform Commercial Code.
The secretary's office appoints and regulates the state's notaries public.
State archives The secretary maintains laws passed in the state and all records of the legislature, state agencies, election returns, vital statistics, county court rulings, and Supreme Judicial Court rulings and proceedings.
Motor vehicles The secretary oversees the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles and is thus responsible for overseeing identification, motor vehicle registration, vehicle inspections, and other forms of licensing.
List of secretaries of state The following officials have served as secretary of state of Maine: TenureImageSecretary of StateHometown Party Notes1820–1821Ashur WarePortlandDemocratic-Republican1822–1828Amos NicholsAugustaDemocratic-Republican1829–1830Edward RussellNorth YarmouthNational Republican1831–1834Roscoe GreenePortlandDemocratic1835–1837Asaph NicholsAugustaDemocratic1838Samuel P. BensonWinthropWhig1839Asaph NicholsAugustaDemocratic1840Philip C. JohnsonAugustaDemocratic1841Samuel P. BensonWinthropDemocratic1842–1844Philip C. JohnsonAugustaDemocratic1845William B. HartwellAugustaDemocratic1846–1849Ezra B. FrenchDamariscottaDemocratic1850–1853John G. SawyerAugustaDemocratic1854–1855Alden JacksonAugustaWhig1856Caleb AyerCornishDemocratic1857Alden JacksonAugustaDemocratic1858–1860Noah Smith, Jr.CalaisRepublican1861–1863Joseph B. HallPresque IsleRepublican1864–1867Ephraim Flint, Jr.DoverRepublican1868–1871Franklin M. DrewBrunswickRepublican1872–1874George G. StacyRichmondRepublicanResigned1875Sidney PerhamParisRepublicanPreviously served as governor.1876–1878S. J. ChadbourneDixmontDemocratic1879Edward H. GoveBiddefordGreenback1880S. J. ChadbourneAugustaRepublican1881–1884Joseph O. SmithAugustaRepublican1885–1890Ormandel SmithLitchfieldRepublican1891–1896Nicholas FessendenFort FairfieldRepublican1897–1906Byron BoydAugustaRepublican1907–1910Arthur I. BrownBelfastRepublican1911–1912Cyrus W. DavisWatervilleDemocrat1913–1914Joseph E. AlexanderRichmondRepublican1915–1916John E. BunkerEdenDemocrat1917–1926Frank W. BallDoverRepublican1927–1932Edgar C. SmithAugustaRepublican1933–1934Robinson C. TobeyAugustaRepublican1935–1936Lewis O. BarrowsNewportRepublican1937–1941Frederick RobieGorhamRepublican1942–1960Harold I. GossGardinerRepublicanLongest-serving Maine Secretary of State1961–1964Paul A. MacDonaldCoopers MillsRepublican1965–1966Kenneth M. CurtisCape ElizabethDemocratic1967–1974Joseph T. EdgarFarmingdaleRepublican1975–1978Markham L. GartleyGreenvilleDemocraticRan unsuccessfully for Congress against Olympia Snowe in 1978.1979–1988Rodney S. QuinnAugustaDemocratic1989–1996William DiamondWindhamDemocratic1997–2004Dan GwadoskyFairfieldDemocratic2005–2010Matthew DunlapOld TownDemocratic2011–2012Charlie SummersScarboroughRepublican2013–2021Matthew DunlapOld TownDemocratic2021–presentShenna BellowsManchesterDemocraticIncumbent, First woman to serve as Secretary of State
See also List of company registers
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