The Michigan Department of State is a principal executive department of the government of Michigan. It is responsible for administering elections, regulating notaries public, and maintaining records of statutes and the Great Seal of Michigan. It also serves as the state's department of motor vehicles, administering motor vehicle registration and licensing automobile drivers.

The department is led by the secretary of state of Michigan, a constitutional executive officer elected on a partisan ballot every four years alongside gubernatorial elections. As the name implies, the officeholder was originally responsible for much of state government, but now the duties are similar to those of the other 46 secretaries of states across the United States. The secretary of state is the third-highest elected official in Michigan, and serves as acting governor in the absence of the governor and lieutenant governor. The office of the secretary of state of Michigan is currently held by Jocelyn Benson of the Democratic Party, first elected in 2018.

Under state law, the secretary of state must have at least one office in each of Michigan's 83 counties.

Department organization

Customer Services Administration The Customer Services Administration (CSA) is divided into the Bureau of Branch Office Services, the Driver and Vehicle Records Division, the Office of Customer Services, the Department of State Information Center, the Program Procedures Section, and the Program Support Section. The Bureau of Branch Office Services operates a network of branch offices providing driver's licensing, vehicle titling and registration, and voter registration services to the citizens of Michigan. The Driver and Vehicle Records Division manages driver and vehicle records maintenance activities. The Office of Customer Services oversees the Renewal-By-Mail and Internet Renewal, as well as the Uniform Commercial Code. The office serves International Registration Plan vehicle owners and Michigan residents who are out of state. The Department of State Information Center is the point of contact for many citizens seeking information about Secretary of State programs and services. The center also oversees driver and vehicle record sales and the distribution of the annual jury listing to Michigan counties.

Department Services Administration The Department Services Administration (DSA) provides coordination and support to the agency in the areas of administration, finance, technology, project management, human resources, employee development, and occupancy management. The DSA includes the Office of Technology and Project Services, the Office of Human Resources, the Office of Occupancy Services, the Accounting Services Division, the Budget Services Division, and the department's Business Application Modernization initiative.

Legal and Regulatory Services Administration The Legal and Regulatory Services Administration (LRSA) is divided into the Bureau of Information Security, the Bureau of Regulatory Services, and the Legal Policy and Procedures Section. The LRSA provides research and counsel to the secretary of state on statutes and rules administered.

Secretary of state

The secretary of state is elected for a four-year term, concurrent with that of the governor. Candidates are nominated at partisan conventions. Under an amendment to the state Constitution which was passed in 1992, the secretary of state is restricted to two four-year terms in that office.

Under the original 1835 Michigan Constitution, the secretary of state was established as an appointed position. They were appointed by the governor with the consent of the state senate. Under the 1850 Michigan Constitution, the secretary of state became an elected position. Secretaries of state were elected to serve two year terms under this constitution. Under the current 1963 state constitution, the terms of secretaries of state were extended to four years.

The secretary of state receives the courtesy title of The Honorable for life.

List of officeholders # Image Name Term Party / Appointer Notes Ref.1Kintzing Prichette1835–1838Stevens T. Mason2Randolph Manning1838–1840Stevens T. Mason3Thomas Rowland1840–1842William Woodbridge4Robert P. Eldredge1842–1846John S. Barry5Gideon O. Whittemore1846–1848Alpheus Felch6George W. Peck1848–1850Epaphroditus Ransom7George R. Redfield1850John S. Barry Resigned 8 Charles H. Taylor 1850–1852John S. BarryAppointed by governor to fill vacancy in 1850. Later in 1850, Taylor becomes the first Michigan secretary of state to be elected. Democratic9William Graves1853–1854Democratic10John McKinney1855–1858Republican11Nelson G. Isbell1859–1860Republican12James B. Porter1861–1866Republican13Oliver L. Spaulding1867–1870Republican14Daniel Striker1871–1874Republican15Ebenezer G. D. Holden1875–1878Republican16William Jenney1879–1882Republican17Harry A. Conant1883–1886Republican18Gilbert R. Osmun1887–1890Republican19Daniel E. Soper1891Democratic Resigned20Robert R. Blacker1891–1892Edwin B. WinansAppointed by governor to fill vacancy. 21John W. Jochim1893–1894Republican RemovedRemoved from office by the governor. 22 Washington Gardner 1894–1898John T. RichInitially appointed by governor to fill vacancy, and thereafter elected. Republican23Justus S. Stearns1899–1900Republican24Fred M. Warner1901–1904Republican25George A. Prescott1905–1908Republican26Frederick C. Martindale1909–1914Republican27Coleman C. Vaughan1915–1920Republican28Charles J. DeLand1921–1926Republican29John S. Haggerty1927–1930Republican30Frank Fitzgerald1931–1934Republican Resigned31Clarke W. Brown1934William Comstock 32Orville E. Atwood1935–1936Republican 33Leon D. Case1937–1938Democratic 34Harry Kelly1939–1942Republican 35Herman H. Dignan1943–1946Republican 36Frederick M. Alger Jr.1947–1952Republican 37Owen Cleary1953–1954Republican 38James M. Hare1955–1970Democratic 39Richard H. Austin1971–1994Democratic 40Candice Miller1995–2002Republican 41Terri Lynn Land2003–2010Republican 42Ruth Johnson2011–2018Republican 43Jocelyn Benson2019–presentDemocratic

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