Connecticut Secretary of State

Description

The Secretary of the State for Connecticut is designated by the Constitution and General Statutes of Connecticut as the official keeper of a wide array of public records and documents. The office registers and licenses various businesses and commercial lenders, runs the state's elections, officially documents legislation, regulations and other acts of the state government, and responds to more than 600,000 requests for information annually. It also publishes, distributes and sells the State Register and Manual and other publications. The secretary of state is responsible for keeping public records and documents, administers aspects of business law "including the approval of all certificates of incorporation, organization and dissolution, as well as annual and biennial reports. Trademarks are registered here as well." The secretary also acts as the state's commissioner of elections and supervises all of Connecticut's local, state and federal-level election contests. The salary for this position is $110,000/year.

Application Guidelines

To run as an unaffiliated (independent) candidate in Connecticut you must gather signatures from qualified electors to get on the ballot. The first thing a candidate should do is confirm with the Connecticut Secretary of State that their address is located in the district that they looking to run in. Candidates must also obtain an Application for Nominating Petition which can be mailed to the candidate or downloaded from the Connecticut Secretary of State’s webpage (sots@ct.gov). Additionally, Candidates must follow Connecticut campaign finance laws and filings. Candidates may start collecting signatures on the first business day of the year they are looking to compete in, and the petition must be submitted to the Connecticut Secretary of State’s office or the town clerk in which they reside 90 days prior to the election by 4pm (August 8, 2018). The amount of signatures can be either one percent of the total amount of votes cast for the same office in the preceding election, or 7,500, whichever is lesser. Running for office in Connecticut can be complicated so we strongly encourage candidates to contact the Secretary of State’s office as soon as interested in running at (860) 509-6100. Please note: If you plan to run as part of a major or minor party, the filing details differ. The filing deadlines are earlier as well. Please contact your local party headquarters for more details.