North Carolina Secretary of State

	North Carolina Secretary of State
	; ; ;
	General information
Office Type:	Partisan
Office website:	Official Link
Compensation:	$146,421
2025 FY Budget:	$19,244,123
Term limits:	None
	Structure
Length of term:	4 years
Authority:	North Carolina Constitution, Article III, Section 7
Selection Method:	Elected
	Current Officeholder
	North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall; Democratic Party; Assumed office: 1996
	Elections
Next election:	November 5, 2024
Last election:	November 3, 2020
	Other North Carolina Executive Offices
	Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Superintendent of Education • Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Commissioner • Labor Commissioner • Public Service Commission

The Secretary of State for North Carolina is an elected state executive position in the North Carolina state government. The secretary is a member of the Council of State and the head of the Department of the State, which oversees economic and business-related operations of the state government. The department provides the initial infrastructure for corporate organizations, addresses fraud by providing accurate and timely information, and issues professional credentials. The North Carolina secretary of state does not oversee the state's elections.^[1]

The secretary is elected by a statewide vote during presidential election years and serves for a four-year term.

North Carolina has a Democratic triplex. The Democratic Party controls the offices of governor, secretary of state, and attorney general.

Current officeholder

The current officeholder is Elaine Marshall (D). She was first elected in 1996 and has been re-elected six times, most recently in 2020. Marshall succeeded Janice Faulkner (D) in the position.

Authority

The secretary of state's establishment and term of office are derived from Article III, Section 7 of the North Carolina Constitution.

Article III, Section 7:

A Secretary of State, an Auditor, a Treasurer, a Superintendent of Public Instruction, an Attorney General, a Commissioner of Agriculture, a Commissioner of Labor, and a Commissioner of Insurance shall be elected by the qualified voters of the State in 1972 and every four years thereafter, at the same time and places as members of the General Assembly are elected. Their term of office shall be four years and shall commence on the first day of January next after their election and continue until their successors are elected and qualified.^[2]

Qualifications

Article VI, Section 6 of the North Carolina Constitution establishes the qualifications of the office:

Every qualified voter in North Carolina who is 21 years of age, except as in this Constitution disqualified, shall be eligible for election by the people to office.^[2]

Qualified North Carolina voter
At least 21 years of age

Vacancies

Details of vacancy appointments are addressed under Article III, Section 7.

If a vacancy occurs in the office, the governor appoints another to serve until a successor is elected and qualified. Every such vacancy shall be filled by election at the first election for members of the General Assembly that occurs more than 60 days after the vacancy has taken place, and the person chosen shall hold the office for the remainder of the unexpired term.^[2]

Duties

The secretary is a member of the Council of State and the head of the Department of the State, which oversees economic and business-related operations of the state government. The department provides the initial infrastructure for corporate organizations, addresses fraud by providing accurate and timely information, and issues professional credentials.^[1] Additional duties include, but are not limited to:^[3]

Receiving and keeping all conveyances and mortgages belonging to the state;
Distributing the statutes and legislative journals annually;
Issuing and maintaining charters and certificates for the incorporation and dissolution of corporations;
Receiving and processing lobbyist registrations and the commission of notaries;
Compiling and keeping data on state agencies for legislative use; and,
Applying for federal government and other grants in order to effectuate the purposes of the Nonprofit Corporation Act and aiding in the operation of nonprofit corporations.

Elections

North Carolina state government organizational chart

The secretary of state in North Carolina is popularly elected every four years in presidential election years. The term of office is four years and begins on the first day of January next after their election.

2024

See also: North Carolina Secretary of State election, 2024

General election

General election for North Carolina Secretary of State

Incumbent Elaine Marshall and Chad Brown are running in the general election for North Carolina Secretary of State on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate
		Elaine Marshall (D)
		Chad Brown (R)

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
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Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent Elaine Marshall advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina Secretary of State.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for North Carolina Secretary of State

Chad Brown defeated Christine Villaverde and Jesse Thomas in the Republican primary for North Carolina Secretary of State on March 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Chad Brown	43.3	373,166
	Christine Villaverde	30.0	258,569
	Jesse Thomas	26.8	230,829

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 862,564
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Darren Eustance (R)