Term of office The secretary of the Commonwealth is
elected by the people on
Election Day in November to four-year terms, and takes office on the third Wednesday of the January following a general election. There is no
limit to the number of terms a secretary may hold. Institutionally speaking, the secretary of the Commonwealth is thus completely
independent of both the
governor and
General Court for the purpose of performing their official duties. These constitutional protections notwithstanding, the secretary may still be
impeached for misconduct or maladministration by the
House of Representatives and, if found guilty, removed from office by the
Senate.
Qualifications Any person seeking election to the office of secretary of the Commonwealth must meet the following requirements: • Be at least eighteen years of age; • Be a registered voter in Massachusetts; • Be a Massachusetts resident for at least five years when elected; and • Receive 5,000 signatures from registered voters on nomination papers.
Vacancies In the event of a vacancy in the office of secretary of the Commonwealth, the
General Court is charged, if in session, with electing from among the eligible citizens of the Commonwealth a successor to serve the balance of the prior secretary's term in office. If, however, the vacancy occurs while the General Court is not in session, then responsibility for appointing a successor falls to the
governor. The appointment is not valid without the
advice and consent of the
Governor's Council. ==Powers and duties==