Secretary of State of Rhode Island explained

Post:	Secretary of State
Body:	Rhode Island
Insignia:	File:Seal of Rhode Island.svg
Insigniasize:	110
Incumbent:	Gregg Amore
Incumbentsince:	January 3, 2023
Type:	Secretary of State
Formation:	1798
First:	Samuel Eddy
Website:	Office of the Rhode Island Secretary of State, official homepage

The secretary of state of Rhode Island is an elected office in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. As of 2023, the current secretary of state is Gregg Amore.

Powers and duties

The Rhode Island Department of State or is composed of five separate divisions:

• The Elections and Civics Division prepares ballots, ensures accessibility of voting facilities, qualifies and certifies the names of all federal and state candidates for ballot placement, maintains a database of registered voters, and ensures compliance with the Help America Vote Act. Administration of elections and compliance with campaign finance laws is the responsibility of a separate state agency, the Rhode Island Board of Elections.
• The Corporations Division is responsible for a wide range of business-related legal documents and filings, including formation of corporations and other business entities, liens and security interests under the Uniform Commercial Code, registration of notaries public, apostilles, trademarks and service marks, registration of businesses conducting games of chance, and various other documents required by state law.
• The Public Information Division accepts many filings required to be made with the secretary of state, including lobbying disclosures, public meeting notices and minutes, disclosure of state government consultants, and appointments to boards and commissions, and other government information. This division also publishes the Rhode Island Government Owner's Manual, which gives a broad overview of various government offices and officials.
• The Rhode Island State Archives is the official custodian and trustee for public records of permanent historical value.
• The Rhode Island State Library, which was created in 1852 by a General Assembly resolution as part of the office of the secretary of state. Its purpose is to assist members of the General Assembly with research on the preparation of proposed legislation. The State Library also includes a law library.^[1]

List of secretaries of state

+List of officeholders^[2]
Image	Name	Tenure	Party
	Henry Ward	1775–1797
		1798–1818	Republican
	Henry Bowen	1819–1848	Whig
	Christopher E. Robbins	1849–1850	Whig
	Asa Potter	1851–1853	Democratic
		1854	Whig
		1855–1871	Republican
		1872–1886	Republican
		1887	Democratic
	Samuel H. Cross	1888–1889
		1890	Democratic
		1891–1893	Republican
		1894–1909	Republican
		1910–1923	Republican
		1924–1932	Republican
		1933–1938	Democratic
		1939–1940	Republican
		1941–1956	Democratic
		1957–1958	Democratic
		1959–1972	Democratic
		1973–1982	Democratic
		1983–1986	Republican
		1987–1992	Democratic
		1993–1994	Republican
		1995–2001	Democratic
		2001–2002	Independent
		2003–2006	Democratic
		2007–2014	Democratic
		2015–2023	Democratic
		2023–present	Democratic

See also

• Attorney General of Rhode Island

External links

• Secretary of State Incorporations (Non Business) finding aid from the Rhode Island State Archives
• Letter from P.T. Barnum to the R.I. Secretary of State from the Rhode Island State Archives

Notes and References

1. http://www.sec.state.ri.us/library/lawslegislation/lawslegdesc RI State Library,Law and Legislation Section
2. http://sos.ri.gov/library/history/secretaries/ Office of Rhode Island Secretary of State, Historical Secretaries of State, accessed September 12, 2013