Secretary of State of Arkansas

Secretary of State of Arkansas
Seal of the secretary of state
Incumbent John Thurston since January 15, 2019
Style	Mr. Secretary (informal) The Honorable (formal)
Seat	State Capitol,Little Rock, Arkansas
Term length	Four years, renewable once (Seventy-third Amendment to theArkansas Constitution of 1874)
Constituting instrument	Arkansas Constitution of 1836
Precursor	Secretary ofArkansas Territory
Formation	September 16, 1836(1836-09-16)
First holder	Robert A. Watkins
Salary	$54,305
Website	sos.arkansas.gov

Thesecretary of state of Arkansasis one of the elected constitutional officers of theU.S. stateofArkansas.

The current secretary of state isRepublicanJohn Thurston,formerArkansas land commissionerfromPulaski Countyin central Arkansas.

Organization

The secretary of state's office is composed of seven divisions:

• The Building & Grounds Division maintains theArkansas State Capitoland its surrounding grounds and gardens.
• The Business & Commercial Services Division is responsible for filinglienspursuant to theUniform Commercial Code,registeringbusiness entitiesandtrademarks,collecting the statefranchise tax,and licensingnotaries public.
• The Communications & Education Division provides public education aboutcivicsand theHistory of Arkansas,and produces various state publications.
• The Elections Division administers elections, regulatescampaign financeandlobbying,and ensures compliance with state and federalelection laws.
• The Fiscal Office deals with the internal financial, logistical, and personnel matters of the Office of the Secretary of State. They also distribute theArkansasandUnited States flag.
• The secretary also runs the State Capitol gift shop.
• The State Capitol Police provide security for the State Capitol building and police services for the Capitol Complex.

Other duties

The secretary of state also publishes the state'sadministrative regulationsand the stategazette,theArkansas Register.

Officeholders

Democratswere elected exclusively to the office of secretary of state from the laterReconstruction erauntil the retirement ofCharlie Danielsto run for State Auditor in 2010, when the first modern-day Republican to hold the office, Mark Martin, was elected. Secretaries of state during the statehood of Arkansas include:

• Robert A. Watkins(D) 1836–1840
• D. B. Greer1840–1842
• John Winfrey(D) 1842
• D. B. Greer(D) 1842–1859
• Alexander Boileau(D) 1859–1860
• S. W. Weaver(D) 1860
• John I. Stirman(D) 1860–1862
• O. H. Oates(Confederate) 1862–1864
• Robert J. T. White(R) 1864–1871
• James M. Johnson(R) 1871–1874
• Benton B. Beavers(D) 1874–1879
• Jacob Frolich(D) 1879–1885
• Elias B. Moore(D) 1885–1889
• B. B. Chism(D) 1889–1893 (Benjamin Boone Chism)
• H. B. Armistead(D) 1893–1897
• Alexander C. Hull(D) 1897–1901
• J. W. Crockett(D) 1901–1905
• O. C. Ludwig(D) 1905–1911
• Earle W. Hodges(D) 1911–1917
• Tom J. Terral(D) 1917–1921
• Ira C. Hopper(D) 1921–1925
• Jim B. Higgins(D) 1925–1931
• Ed F. McDonald(D) 1931–1937
• C. G. "Crip" Hall(D) 1937–1961
• Nancy J. Hall(D) 1961–1963
• Kelly Bryant(D) 1963–1975
• George O. Jernigan Jr.(D) 1975–1977
• Winston Bryant(D) 1977–1979
• Paul Riviere(D) 1979–1985
• William J. "Bill" McCuen(D) 1985–1995
• Sharon M. Priest(D) 1995–2003
• Charlie Daniels(D) 2003–2011
• Mark Martin(R) 2011–2019
• John Thurston(R) 2019–present

See also

• List of company registers

External links

Official

• Official website

General information

• Arkansas Secretary of StateatBallotpedia
• Arkansas: Secretaries of StateatThe Political Graveyard
• Works by or about Arkansas. Office of the Secretary of StateatInternet Archive