Nevada Secretary of State

General information
Office Type: | Partisan
Office website: | Official Link
Compensation: | $116,994
2025 FY Budget: | $29,217,700
Term limits: | 2 terms
Structure
Length of term: |  4 years
Authority: | Nevada Constitution, Article V, Section 19
Selection Method: | Elected
Current Officeholder(s)

Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar
Democratic Party
Assumed office: January 2, 2023

Elections
Next election: | November 3, 2026
Last election: | November 8, 2022
Other Nevada Executive Offices
Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Controller • Superintendent of Public Instruction • Agriculture Director • Insurance Commissioner • Director of Conservation and Natural Resources • Labor Commissioner • Public Utilities Commission • Employment, Training and Rehabilitation • Board of Regents

The Secretary of State for Nevada is the third highest ranking state official, behind the governor and lieutenant governor. The office is responsible for maintaining the official records of the acts of the state legislature and of the executive branch of the Nevada government.[1]

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

## Contents

* 1 Current officeholder
* 2 Authority
* 3 Qualifications
* 4 Elections
* 4.1 Term limits
* 4.2 2022
* 4.3 Past elections
* 5 Vacancies
* 6 Duties
* 7 Divisions
* 8 Role in the initiative process
* 8.1 Signature Verification
* 8.2 Ballot Question
* 8.3 Ballot Summary
* 8.4 Appealing the Secretary of State
* 9 State budget
* 10 Compensation
* 10.1 2023
* 10.2 2022
* 10.3 2021
* 10.4 2020
* 10.5 2019
* 10.6 2018
* 10.7 2017
* 10.8 2016
* 10.9 2015
* 10.10 2014
* 10.11 2013
* 10.12 2010
* 11 Historical officeholders
* 12 Recent news
* 13 Contact information
* 14 See also
* 15 External links
* 16 Footnotes

## Current officeholder[edit]

The current Nevada Secretary of State is Cisco Aguilar (D). Aguilar assumed office in 2023.

## Authority[edit]

The state Constitution addresses the office of the secretary of state in Article V, the Executive Department.

Under Article V, Section 19:

A Secretary of State, a Treasurer, a Controller, and an Attorney General, shall be elected at the same time and places, and in the same manner as the Governor.[2]

## Qualifications[edit]

There are no specific qualifications for this office.[2]

## Elections[edit]

Nevada state government organizational chart

See also: States with gubernatorial term limits, State legislatures with term limits

The Nevada Secretary of State is a publicly elected official who serves a term of four years in length.[2]

### Term limits[edit]

Term limits for the secretary of state are defined by Article 5, Section 19 of the Nevada Constitution, which prohibits a secretary of state from being elected to a third term.

Nevada Constitution, Article 5, Section 19-2:

Any elector shall be eligible to any of these offices, but no person may be elected to any of them more than twice, or more than once if he has previously held the office by election or appointment.

### 2022[edit]

See also: Nevada Secretary of State election, 2022

#### General election

##### General election for Nevada Secretary of State

Cisco Aguilar defeated Jim Marchant, Janine Hansen, and Ross Crane in the general election for Nevada Secretary of State on November 8, 2022.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Cisco Aguilar (D) |

48.9

| 496,569

| Jim Marchant (R) |

46.7

| 473,467

| Janine Hansen (Independent American Party) |

1.7

| 17,472

| Ross Crane (L) |

0.9

| 8,821
|  | Other/Write-in votes|

1.8

| 18,144

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 1,014,473

|
|

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#### Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Cisco Aguilar advanced from the Democratic primary for Nevada Secretary of State.

#### Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

* Ellen Spiegel (D)

#### Republican primary election

#####  Republican primary for Nevada Secretary of State

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for Nevada Secretary of State on June 14, 2022.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Jim Marchant |

37.6

| 82,843

| Jesse Haw|

20.3

| 44,778

| Richard Scotti |

15.9

| 34,984

| Kristopher Dahir |

6.9

| 15,204

| John Cardiff Gerhardt|

4.9

| 10,815

| Gerard Ramalho|

4.2

| 9,325

| Socorro Keenan|

1.8

| 4,025
|  | Other/Write-in votes|

8.3

| 18,245

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

| Total votes: 220,219

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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### Past elections[edit]

Expand All

2018

See also: Nevada Secretary of State election, 2018

#### General election

##### General election for Nevada Secretary of State

Incumbent Barbara K. Cegavske defeated Nelson Araujo in the general election for Nevada Secretary of State on November 6, 2018.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Barbara K. Cegavske (R) |

48.9

| 467,880

| Nelson Araujo (D) |

48.2

| 461,551
|  | Other/Write-in votes|

2.8

| 27,200

* * *

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

| Total votes: 956,631
(100.00% precincts reporting)

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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#### Democratic primary election

#####  Democratic primary for Nevada Secretary of State

Nelson Araujo advanced from the Democratic primary for Nevada Secretary of State on June 12, 2018.

Candidate

|

| Nelson Araujo

* * *

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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#### Republican primary election

#####  Republican primary for Nevada Secretary of State

Incumbent Barbara K. Cegavske defeated Ernest Aldridge in the Republican primary for Nevada Secretary of State on June 12, 2018.

Candidate

Votes

|
|
|

| Barbara K. Cegavske|

70.0

| 85,355

Submit photo

| Ernest Aldridge|

30.0

| 36,508

* * *

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

| Total votes: 121,863

|
|

= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2014

See also: Nevada Secretary of State election, 2014
Secretary of State of Nevada, 2014

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  | Barbara Cegavske | 50.4% | 273,720
| Democratic  |  Kate Marshall | 46.1% | 250,612
| Independent  |  None of these candidates  | 3.5% | 18,778
Total Votes | 543,110
Election results via Nevada Secretary of State

2010

See also: Nevada Secretary of State election, 2010

On November 2, 2010, Ross Miller won re-election to the office of Nevada Secretary of State. He defeated Rob Lauer and John Wagner in the general election.

Nevada Secretary of State, 2010

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  | Ross Miller Incumbent | 55.1% | 374,086
| Republican  |  Rob Lauer  | 38.6% | 262,222
| Ind. American  |  John Wagner  | 6.2% | 42,178
Total Votes | 678,486
Election results via Nevada Office of the Secretary of State.

2006

On November 7, 2006, Ross Miller won election to the office of Nevada Secretary of State. He defeated Danny Tarkanian and Janine Hansen in the general election.

Nevada Secretary of State, 2006

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Democratic  | Ross Miller | 50.7% | 279,510
| Republican  |  Danny Tarkanian  | 42.2% | 232,705
| Independent American  |  Janine Hansen  | 7% | 38,757
Total Votes | 550,972
Election results via Nevada office of the Secretary of State.

2002

On November 5, 2002, Dean Heller won re-election to the office of Nevada Secretary of State. He defeated William Hamma, Christopher Hansen, Lois Avery, and Paul Lenart in the general election.

Nevada Secretary of State, 2002

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  | Dean Heller Incumbent | 64.4% | 298,125
| Democratic  |  William Hamma  | 26.9% | 124,655
| Independent American  |  Christopher Hansen  | 3.9% | 17,987
| Natural Law  |  Lois Avery  | 3.1% | 14,552
| Green  |  Paul Lenart  | 1.6% | 7,602
Total Votes | 462,921
Election results via Nevada office of the Secretary of State.

## Vacancies[edit]

As established by Article 5, Section 8 of the Nevada Constitution, in the event of a vacancy, the governor fills the office by appointment. The appointee serves until a successor is elected and qualified.[2]

## Duties[edit]

The secretary of state acts as the official record-keeper of the state of Nevada and is the keeper of the State Seal of Nevada. The secretary also maintains the official bond of the state treasurer and serves on the State Board of Prison Commissioners, the State Board of Examiners, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board, the State Records Committee, the State Advisory Committee on Participatory Democracy and the Executive Branch Audit Committee.[1]

The secretary also maintains the state's registry of living wills and advance medical directives and maintains a list of ministers and clergy in the state.[1]

## Divisions[edit]

As of January 29, 2021, the secretary of state's office is organized into the following divisions:

* Confidential Address Program
* Commercial Recordings
* Elections
* Notary Divisions
* Securities Licensing & Registration
* Sports Agents
* Service Marks, Trademarks & Trade Names
* Uniform Commercial Code[1]

## Role in the initiative process[edit]

Before a petition may be circulated in Nevada it must first be submitted to the secretary of state. The ballot description must abide by the petition guidelines and consist of a 200 words or less description.[3]

### Signature Verification[edit]

After a petition has been circulated, signatures and all other documents relating to the petition should be submitted to the County Clerk in the respective county in which the petition was circulated.

The County Clerk will do a raw count of all the signatures and forward the number to the secretary of state within four days. If the raw count returns at 100 percent of signatures required to qualify a ballot then the secretary of state will notify the County Clerk to verify the rest of the signatures.

If more than 500 signatures have been submitted, the County Clerk will verify 500 or 5 percent (whichever is greater) signatures. A sponsor of the petition is allowed to witness the verification process. Upon the competition of this process the County Clerk forward the petition and certificate of the signature results to the secretary of state. The County Clerk will also notify the secretary of names that wrote in to be removed from the petition at this time. The entire process must be completed within nine days after the initial notification.

If the random sampling of signatures has between 90 percent or greater, but less than 100 percent the secretary of state will have the County Clerk reexamine the signatures for verification. This means that each signature must be re-verified within 12 days after receiving the order from the secretary of state.[3]

### Ballot Question[edit]

Once the initiative is qualified for the ballot, the secretary of state must draft the ballot as question. Upon consultation with the Nevada Attorney General the secretary will write the ballot as a question and a short summary of the ballot. The office is also obligated to determined the fiscal impact of the measure with Fiscal Analysis division of the Legislative Counsel Bureau. The secretary then assigns the ballot question a number for the General Election Ballot.[3]

### Ballot Summary[edit]

The secretary of state may reject any arguments found to be libelous or factually inaccurate. The office also may make arguments more clear and concise as long as the message of the argument is not altered.[3]

### Appealing the Secretary of State[edit]

* Proponents of a ballot may challenge the secretary of state within five working days after receipt of signature sufficiency is filed.
* Committees may appeal the reject of a statement by the secretary of state within five days of the rejection to the First Judicial Court. No later than three days after the complaint is filed will the Court rule on the matter.[3]

## State budget[edit]

See also: Nevada state budget and finances

The budget for the secretary of state's office in Fiscal Year 2025 was $29,217,700.[4]

## Compensation[edit]

See also: Compensation of state executive officers

Article 17, Section 5 of the Nevada Constitution mandates the salary of the secretary of state for the first term in office. However, Article 15, Section 9 provides that the state legislature may at any time increase or decrease the compensation, effective during the subsequent term. Since January, 2011, and on the first Monday of every fourth year thereafter, the secretary of state’s salary is increased by the cumulative percentage increase in the salaries of classified Nevada employees during the previous term.[5]

### 2023[edit]

In 2023, the officer's salary was $116,994, according to the Council of State Governments.[6]

### 2022[edit]

In 2022, the officer's salary was $112,462, according to the Council of State Governments.[7]

### 2021[edit]

In 2021, the secretary of state received a salary of $112,462, according to the Council of State Governments.[8]

### 2020[edit]

In 2020, the secretary of state received a salary of $102,898, according to the Council of State Governments.[9]

### 2019[edit]

In 2019, the secretary of state received a salary of $102,898, according to the Council of State Governments.[10]

### 2018[edit]

In 2018, the secretary of state received a salary of $102,898, according to the Council of State Governments.[11]

### 2017[edit]

In 2017, the secretary of state received a salary of $102,898, according to the Council of State Governments.[12]

### 2016[edit]

In 2016, the secretary of state received a salary of $102,898, according to the Council of State Governments.[13]

### 2015[edit]

In 2015, the secretary of state received a salary of $102,898, according to the Council of State Governments.[14]

### 2014[edit]

In 2014, the secretary of state was paid an estimated $102,898, according to the Council of State Governments.[15]

### 2013[edit]

In 2013 the secretary of state was paid an estimated $102,898, according to the Council of State Governments.[16]

### 2010[edit]

In 2010, the secretary of state was paid an estimated $97,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[17]

## Historical officeholders[edit]

Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for chronological lists of historical officeholders; information for the Nevada 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 Nevada Secretary of State. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Nevada Secretary of State - Google News

## Contact information[edit]

Capitol Address:

Nevada State Capitol Building
101 North Carson Street, Suite 3
Carson City, NV 89701

Phone: (775) 684-5708
Fax: (775) 684-5725
Email: sosmail@sos.nv.gov

## See also[edit]

Nevada | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis

|
|

Nevada State Executive Offices Nevada State Legislature Nevada Courts |  2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 Nevada elections: 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 |  Party control of state government State government trifectas State of the state addresses Partisan composition of governors

## External links[edit]

| Suggest a link

|

* Office of the Nevada Secretary of State
* Wikipedia, Nevada Secretary of State

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Nevada Secretary of State, "About the office," accessed January 29, 2021
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Nevada State Legislature, "Nevada State Constitution," accessed January 29, 2021
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Nevada Secretary of State, "Initiatives and Referenda," accessed February 5, 2021
4. ↑ Governor's Finance Office, "Executive Budget | 2023-2025," accessed December 11, 2023
5. ↑ Secretary of State, “Salary,” accessed January 29, 2021
6. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2023 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 21, 2025
7. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
8. ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 22, 2022
9. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2020," accessed January 26, 2021
10. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2019," accessed January 26, 2021
11. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2018," accessed January 26, 2021
12. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2017," accessed January 26, 2021
13. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed August 27, 2016
14. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed August 27, 2016
15. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed December 3, 2014
16. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Table 4.11 Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 31, 2014
17. ↑ The Council of State Governments, "The Book of States 2010 Table 4.11," accessed June 22, 2011

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