To be elected Georgian Secretary of State, candidates must be a United States citizen for 10 years and a resident of the state of Georgia for four years proceeding the election or appointment. Candidates also must be at least 25 years old when they assume the office of the Secretary of State. The qualifications are the same as those for the Attorney General, State School Superintendent and the Commissioners of Insurance, Agriculture and Labor of Georgia.
In Georgia, the Secretary of State is responsible for upholding a wide range of regulatory duties including monitoring elections, providing campaign finance disclosures, overseeing public record keeping, and licensing and monitoring state businesses and professionals. The office is composed of a series of divisions that assist in managing the various tasks of the office, including the state archives, elections, corporations, business regulations and state licensing boards among many others. The office of the Secretary of State is also responsible for maintaining various public records such as maps, land surveys, land grants, agency regulations and laws.
The Secretary of State is an elected position that is decided upon in the same manner as the Georgian State Assembly members. However, if an elected Secretary of State has to withdraw or dies, the Georgian Governor can appoint a Secretary as long as the state Senate upholds the appointment.