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 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]
1 ▌New Progressive (1 territory) Italics indicate no secretary of state in this state, closest equivalent listed An asterisk (*) indicates that the officeholder is serving in an acting capacity.