Duties of the Secretary of State
The Secretary of State can be called the record keeper of Wyoming. Many different kinds of things must be reported to this office to be legal. People report information about businesses, elections, and selling stocks and bonds. People wanting information often call this office and a staff member can look it up on the computer for them or tell them how to find it on their own computer.
The Secretary of State is the keeper of the Great Seal. One way the Secretary of State makes something official is by attaching the Great Seal to important papers. When the Governor is traveling out-of-state, the Secretary of State is the Acting Governor.
The Secretary of State's Office is divided into five divisions:
The Administrative Support Division keeps track of the money for the other parts of the Office and they do jobs which help the other Secretary of State employees do their jobs. This Division also keeps track of notaries public (people who watch other people sign important documents).
The Business Division keeps information about businesses. Trademarks and trade names are also registered here. You may know about the famous trademarks like Pepsi, Nike, and Xerox. The famous mark which belongs to Wyoming is the Bucking Horse & Rider.
The Compliance Division oversees people who sell securities. Stocks and bonds are called "securities." In addition, the Division helps protect people who try to make money by buying stocks and bonds. Investigating illegal sales and educating people about how to buy securities is also part of the job.
The Elections Division administers elections. The voting results for statewide elections are recorded within this Office. In addition, they keep information about how much people spend on elections. They also keep a list of lobbyists; lobbyists are people who influence how laws are made.
The Technology Division helps the Secretary of State's employees do their jobs by keeping computer equipment and programs running. This Division also is in charge the Secretary of State's website, which is a huge source of information to the public.