Patricia Murphy: “The office of secretary of state was once little more than a pit stop on the road to higher office–four years of resume building that included inglorious duties like licensing beauticians and other small businesses, maintaining state historical records, and running around the state handing out proclamations to civic groups. But more than three dozen secretaries of state across the country have one duty that’s as serious as they come: They oversee and administer elections.”
“Over the last several years, secretary of state offices have taken on a new and more controversial role as partisan legislatures pushed changes to election laws and secretaries of state were charged with making decisions on everything from ballot language to voter eligibility to voting hours and crucial calls in contested elections. The decisions ultimately affect not only who votes in elections, but often who wins them… As the jobs have gained prominence and power, so has the pressure for the two parties to win them.”
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