Louisiana Secretary of State

General information
Office Type: | Partisan
Office website: | Official Link
2022 FY Budget: | $98,097,376
Term limits: | None
Structure
Length of term: |  4 years
Authority: | Louisiana Constitution, Article IV, Section 7
Selection Method: | Elected
Current Officeholder

Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin
Republican Party
Assumed office: 2018-05-09

Elections
Next election: | November 18, 2023
Last election: | November 16, 2019
Other Louisiana Executive Offices
Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Superintendent of Education • Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Commissioner • Labor Commissioner • Public Service Commission

## Contents

* 1 Current officeholder
* 2 Authority
* 3 Qualifications
* 4 Elections
* 4.1 Results
* 4.1.1 2019
* 4.1.2 2018
* 4.1.3 2015
* 5 Vacancies
* 6 Duties
* 7 Divisions
* 8 State budget
* 9 Compensation
* 9.1 2020
* 9.2 2019
* 9.3 2018
* 9.4 2017
* 9.5 2016
* 9.6 2015
* 9.7 2014
* 9.8 2013
* 9.9 2010
* 10 Electoral history
* 10.1 2011
* 11 Historical officeholders
* 12 Recent news
* 13 Contact information
* 14 See also
* 15 External links
* 16 Footnotes

The Secretary of State for Louisiana is one of the constitutional officers of the U.S. state of Louisiana. The secretary of state is popularly elected every four years, and re-election is not restricted by term limits. The officeholder serves as the chief election officer of the state, the official state archivist, and the keeper of the great seal of the state of Louisiana.[1]

Louisiana has a divided government where neither party holds a triplex. The Democratic Party controls the office of governor, while the Republican Party controls the offices of attorney general and secretary of state.

## Current officeholder[edit]

The current officeholder is Republican Kyle Ardoin, who became acting secretary of state after the former officeholder Tom Schedler resigned following allegations of sexual misconduct.[2]

## Authority[edit]

Article 4, Section 7 of the Louisiana Constitution establishes a Department of State, headed by the office of Secretary of State:

There shall be a Department of State. The secretary of state shall head the department...[3]

## Qualifications[edit]

Article 4, Section 2 of the Louisiana Constitution enumerates the qualifications for holding the office of Secretary of State:

To be eligible for any statewide elective office, a person, by the date of his qualification as a candidate, shall have attained the age of twenty-five years, be an elector, and have been a citizen of the United States and of this state for at least the preceding five years. In addition, the attorney general shall have been admitted to the practice of law in the state for at least the five years preceding this election. During his tenure in office, a statewide elected official shall hold no other public office except by virtue of his elected office.[3]

* at least 25 years old
* an elector
* a United States citizen for the last five years
* a resident of Louisiana for the last five years

## Elections[edit]

Louisiana state government organizational chart

As with other state executive officers, the secretary of state is elected to serve for a term of four years in length, which runs concurrently with the term of the governor. The election is held in November and the statewide official takes office the following January. In accordance with the Louisiana Constitution. There is no term limit for this office. [3]

### Results[edit]

#### 2019[edit]

See also: Louisiana Secretary of State election, 2019

Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

General election

##### General election for Louisiana Secretary of State

Incumbent Kyle Ardoin defeated Gwen Collins-Greenup in the general election for Louisiana Secretary of State on November 16, 2019.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

✔ |

| Kyle Ardoin (R)  |

59.1

| 867,607

| Gwen Collins-Greenup (D)  |

40.9

| 601,126

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 1,468,733
(100.00% precincts reporting)

|
|

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Nonpartisan primary election

##### Nonpartisan primary for Louisiana Secretary of State

Incumbent Kyle Ardoin and Gwen Collins-Greenup defeated Thomas Kennedy III and Amanda Smith in the primary for Louisiana Secretary of State on October 12, 2019.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

✔ |

| Kyle Ardoin (R)  |

41.1

| 528,253
✔ |

| Gwen Collins-Greenup (D)  |

33.8

| 434,587

| Thomas Kennedy III (R)  |

19.0

| 244,646

| Amanda Smith (R) |

6.1

| 78,986

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 1,286,472

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### 2018[edit]

See also: Louisiana Secretary of State election, 2018

Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

General election

##### Special general election for Louisiana Secretary of State

Incumbent Kyle Ardoin defeated Gwen Collins-Greenup in the special general election for Louisiana Secretary of State on December 8, 2018.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

✔ |

| Kyle Ardoin (R)  |

59.3

| 306,568

| Gwen Collins-Greenup (D)  |

40.7

| 210,085

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 516,653

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Nonpartisan primary election

##### Special nonpartisan primary for Louisiana Secretary of State

The following candidates ran in the special primary for Louisiana Secretary of State on November 6, 2018.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

✔ |

| Kyle Ardoin (R)  |

20.5

| 298,657
✔ |

| Gwen Collins-Greenup (D)  |

19.8

| 289,097

| Renee Fontenot Free (D)  |

16.4

| 239,116

| Rick Edmonds (R)  |

11.3

| 164,955

| Julie Stokes (R)  |

11.2

| 163,773

| Thomas Kennedy III (R)  |

9.4

| 137,050

| A.G. Crowe (R)  |

4.9

| 71,495

| Heather Cloud (R)  |

4.9

| 71,195

| Matthew Moreau (Independent)  |

1.5

| 21,579

* * *

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 1,456,917

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

#### 2015[edit]

See also: Louisiana Secretary of State election, 2015

There was a regularly scheduled election for secretary of state in 2015. Tom Schedler (R) was eligible for re-election. The primary election took place on October 24, 2015.

There were only two candidates on the ballot in the blanket primary election. Incumbent Secretary of State Tom Schedler won a majority of votes, eliminating the need for a general election contest in November.[4]

Secretary of State of Louisiana, Blanket Primary, 2015

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  | Tom Schedler | 62.2% | 649,153
| Democrat  |  Chris Tyson | 37.8% | 394,153
Total Votes | 1,043,306
Election Results Louisiana Secretary of State.

## Vacancies[edit]

Article 4, Section 16 of the Louisiana Constitution outlines how vacancies in the office of secretary of state should be filled:

(A) A vacancy in a statewide elective office other than that of governor or lieutenant governor shall be filled by the first assistant. If the unexpired term exceeds one year, the first assistant shall serve only until the person elected as provided in Paragraph (B) of this Section takes office.

(B) If the unexpired term exceeds one year, the office shall be filled by election at the next regularly scheduled congressional or statewide election; however, if no such election date is available within one year of the vacancy, the office shall be filled by election at a special election called by the governor for such purpose.[3]

## Duties[edit]

Article 4, Section 7 of the Louisiana Constitution establishes a Department of State, headed by the secretary of state:

There shall be a Department of State. The secretary of state shall head the department and shall be the chief election officer of the state. He shall prepare and certify the ballots for all elections, promulgate all election returns, and administer the election laws, except those relating to voter registration and custody of voting machines. He shall administer the state corporation and trademark laws; serve as keeper of the Great Seal of the State of Louisiana and attest therewith all official laws, documents, proclamations, and commissions; administer and preserve the official archives of the state; promulgate and publish all laws enacted by the legislature and retain the originals thereof; and countersign and keep an official registry of all commissions. He may administer oaths, and shall have other powers and perform other duties authorized by this constitution or provided by law.[3]

## Divisions[edit]

Updated January 20, 2021

* Accounting
* Archives
* Commercial
* Commissions
* Elections
* Museums
* Notary
* Publications
* Voter Outreach[5]

## State budget[edit]

See also: Louisiana state budget and finances

The Office of the Secretary of State's budget for fiscal year 2022 was $98,097,376.[6]

## Compensation[edit]

See also: Compensation of state executive officers

The salary of the secretary, along with the rest of Louisiana's elected executives, is determined by the Louisiana State Legislature. Article IV, Section 4 of the Louisiana Constitution requires that changes in compensation take effect in the term after they were passed.[3]

Louisiana Constitution, Article IV, Section 4

Compensation Section 4. Except as otherwise provided by this constitution, the compensation of each statewide elected official shall be provided by law. An increase in the salary of a statewide elected official shall not become effective until the commencement of the subsequent term for that office following the adoption or enactment of the increase.[3]

### 2020[edit]

In 2020, the secretary of state received a salary of $115,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[7]

### 2019[edit]

In 2019, the secretary of state received a salary of $115,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[8]

### 2018[edit]

In 2018, the secretary of state received a salary of $115,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[9]

### 2017[edit]

In 2017, the secretary of state received a salary of $115,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[10]

### 2016[edit]

In 2016, the secretary of state received a salary of $115,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[11]

### 2015[edit]

In 2015, the secretary of state received a salary of $115,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[12]

### 2014[edit]

In 2014, the secretary of state was paid an estimated $115,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[13]

### 2013[edit]

In 2013, the secretary of state was paid an estimated $115,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[14]

### 2010[edit]

In 2010, the secretary of state was paid an estimated $115,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[15]

## Electoral history[edit]

### 2011[edit]

Incumbent Tom Schedler won election to a full four-year term as Louisiana Secretary of State on October 22, 2011. He defeated fellow Republican and Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives Jim Tucker, who was the only candidate to register to run against him. State Rep. Walker Hines and New Orleans attorney Caroline Fayard considered running, but ultimately chose not to. Schedler captured more than 50 percent of the vote in the blanket primary, winning re-election outright.

Louisiana Secretary of State, 2011

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  | Tom Schedler Incumbent | 50.5% | 449,616
| Republican  |  Jim Tucker | 49.5% | 441,170
Total Votes | 890,786
Election results via Louisiana Secretary of State

## Historical officeholders[edit]

Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for chronological lists of historical officeholders; information for the Louisiana Secretary of State has not yet been added because the information was unavailable on the relevant state official websites, or we are currently in the process of formatting the list for this office. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.

## Recent news[edit]

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Louisiana Secretary of State. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Louisiana Secretary of State - Google News

## Contact information[edit]

Capitol Address:
Executive - Secretary of State
Post Office Box 94125
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9125

Phone: (225) 922-2880
Fax: (225) 922-2003

## See also[edit]

Louisiana | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis

|
|

Louisiana State Executive Offices Louisiana State Legislature Louisiana Courts |  2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 Louisiana elections: 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 |  Party control of state government State government trifectas State of the state addresses Partisan composition of governors

* Louisiana Constitution

## External links[edit]

* Office of the Secretary of State, Louisiana

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ Louisiana Office of the Secretary of State, "Our Office," accessed January 20, 2021
2. ↑ WWL.com, "Kyle Audoin to be Secretary of State after Tom Schedler resigns until fall election," May 2, 2018
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Louisiana State Senate, "Constitution of Louisiana," accessed January 20, 2021
4. ↑ The Lens, "Election 2015," accessed October 25, 2015
5. ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Contact Us," accessed January 20, 2021
6. ↑ Louisiana State Legislature, "State Budget Fiscal Year 2021-2022," accessed September 13, 2021
7. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2020," accessed January 20, 2021
8. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2019," accessed January 20, 2021
9. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2018," accessed January 20, 2021
10. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2017," accessed January 20, 2021
11. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed January 20, 2021
12. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed January 20, 2021
13. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 20, 2021
14. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Table 4.11 Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 20, 2021
15. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Table 4.11 Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 20, 2021

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