Secretary of State of California
Secretary of State of California | |
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Style | The Honorable |
Term length | Four years, two term limit |
Inaugural holder |
William Van Voorhies 1849 |
Formation | California Constitution |
Salary | $130,490 |
Website | California Secretary of State |
![](../I/m/California_Secretary_of_State_building_on_October_7%2C_2003-750px.jpg)
The Secretary of State of California is the chief elections officer of that U.S. state. The Secretary of State is also responsible for the California State Archives, as well as chartering corporations. The Secretary of State is elected to four year terms, concurrent with the other constitutional officers of California, and is restricted by term limits to only two terms. The current Secretary of State, Alex Padilla, took office on January 5, 2015.
The Secretary of State's responsibilities include: serving as the state's Chief Elections Officer, implementing electronic filing and Internet disclosure of campaign and lobbyist financial information, maintaining business filings, commissioning notaries, operating the Safe at Home confidential address program, maintaining the Domestic Partners and Advance Health Care Directive Registries, safeguarding the California State Archives, and serving as a trustee of the California Museum.
Filing with The Secretary of State of California
The largest portion of the Secretary of State's office, the Business Programs Division, handles corporate filings required for operating business within the state. The Business Entities Section for the California Secretary of State processes, files and maintains records related to corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships and other business entities conducting or planning to conduct business in California.
Persons & entities file with the Secretary of State of California for the following reasons: incorporation in the State of California, out-of-state corporation standing, filing to operate as a foreign entity in California, statements of information, corporate status reports, document requests, notary & apostiles.
Secretary of State of California Office Holders
# | Name | Term of office | Party |
1 | William Van Voorhies | 1849–1853 | Democratic |
2 | James W. Denver | 1853–1855 | Democratic |
3 | Charles H. Hempstead | 1855–1856 | Democratic |
4 | David F. Douglass | 1856–1858 | American |
5 | Ferris Foreman | 1858–1860 | Democratic |
6 | Johnson Price | 1860–1862 | Democratic |
7 | William H. Weeks | 1862–1863 | Republican |
8 | A. A. H. Tuttle | 1863 | Republican |
9 | Benjamin B. Redding | 1863–1867 | Unionist Republican |
10 | Henry L. Nichols | 1867–1871 | Democratic |
11 | Drury Melone | 1871–1875 | Republican |
12 | Thomas Beck | 1875–1880 | Democratic |
13 | Daniel M. Burns | 1880–1883 | Republican |
14 | Thomas Larkin Thompson | 1883–1887 | Democratic |
15 | William C. Hendricks | 1887–1891 | Democratic |
16 | Edwin G. Waite | 1891–1894 | Republican |
17 | Albert Hart | 1894–1895 | Republican |
18 | Lewis H. Brown | 1895–1899 | Republican |
19 | Charles F. Curry | 1899–1911 | Republican |
20 | Frank C. Jordan | 1911–1940 | Republican |
21 | Paul Peek | 1940–1943 | Democratic |
22 | Frank M. Jordan | 1943–1970 | Republican |
Acting | H. P. Sullivan | 1970–1971 | Republican |
23 | Jerry Brown | 1971–1975 | Democratic |
24 | March Fong Eu | 1975–1994 | Democratic |
Acting | Tony Miller (acting) | 1994–1995 | Democratic |
25 | Bill Jones | 1995–2003 | Republican |
26 | Kevin Shelley | 2003–2005 | Democratic |
Acting | Cathy Mitchell | 2005 | Democratic |
27 | Bruce McPherson | 2005–2007 | Republican |
28 | Debra Bowen | 2007–2015 | Democratic |
29 | Alex Padilla | 2015–present | Democratic |