The secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Originally appointed under authority of the English Crown pursuant to the Charter of the Massachusetts Bay Company, the office of secretary of the Commonwealth (equivalent to "secretaries of state" in other U.S. jurisdictions) became an elective one in 1780. Twenty-seven individuals have occupied the office of secretary of the Commonwealth over the ensuing centuries. The incumbent is William F. Galvin, a Democrat who has held the office since 1995.

Election

Term of office

The secretary of the Commonwealth is elected by the people on Election Day in November to four-year terms, and takes office on the third Wednesday of the January following a general election. There is no limit to the number of terms a secretary may hold. Institutionally speaking, the secretary of the Commonwealth is thus completely independent of both the governor and General Court for the purpose of performing their official duties. These constitutional protections notwithstanding, the secretary may still be impeached for misconduct or maladministration by the House of Representatives and, if found guilty, removed from office by the Senate.

Qualifications

Any person seeking election to the office of secretary of the Commonwealth must meet the following requirements:

Vacancies

In the event of a vacancy in the office of secretary of the Commonwealth, the General Court is charged, if in session, with electing from among the eligible citizens of the Commonwealth a successor to serve the balance of the prior secretary's term in office. If, however, the vacancy occurs while the General Court is not in session, then responsibility for appointing a successor falls to the governor. The appointment is not valid without the advice and consent of the Governor's Council.

Powers and duties

The Secretary of the Commonwealth oversees the Corporations Division, the Elections Division, the Massachusetts Archives, the Massachusetts Historical Commission, the Public Records Division, the Securities Division, as well as the State Records Center.

List of secretaries of the Commonwealth (1780 to present)