Elections & Campaigns
Secretaries of State 101: How Are They Elected and Who's Up This Year?
October 29, 2024 | Bill Kramer
Track 2024 secretary of state elections, with analysis from our experts and a downloadable quick reference resource.
Last Updated September 2, 2024
The secretary of state is a statewide office in 47 states and, although duties vary by state, a primary responsibility includes managing and overseeing a state’s elections.
Secretary of state is a statewide office in 47 states and, although duties vary by state, a primary responsibility includes managing and overseeing a state’s elections. Voters in 38 states elect the secretary of state, while the remaining 12 states appoint the secretary of state. Alaska, Hawaii, and Utah do not have a secretary of state position. And Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia call the office the “secretary of the commonwealth.”
Currently, there are 26 Republican secretaries of state and 21 Democratic secretaries of state.
On November 5, 2024, secretary of state seats in 7 states are up for election. Of these seats up for election, 4 seats are currently held by Democrats and 3 seats are currently held by Republicans.