The Office of the Mississippi Secretary of State is dedicated to being both a service and information agency. Areas of service at the Secretary of State’s Office are Communications & Publications, Elections & Voting, Policy & Research, Business Services, Regulation & Enforcement, Charities, Public Lands, Securities, and External Affairs. In addition, the agency employs executive and administrative staff which help oversee the various functions of the office.
The Communications & Publications Division is responsible for managing the agency’s overall brand and ensuring accurate information is delivered to the public and press in a timely manner. The Division also produces and distributes official state publications, such as the Official Statistical Register of the State of Mississippi, more commonly known as the Blue Book, and oversees various agency outreach programs and initiatives.
The Elections Division has many roles in assuring that Mississippians’ voices are heard clearly through the election process. These roles include training elections officials, managing the Statewide Elections Management System, collecting campaign finance and lobbying reports, displaying election returns, assisting local election officials in carrying out their election related responsibilities, and answering voter’s questions about the elections process.
The Policy & Research Division is the research and development engine of the agency. The Division develops potential legislation, coordinates partnerships and innovative solutions to challenges facing the state, administers the Public Records Request process, and directs the agency’s involvement in the Occupational Licensing Review Commission. In addition, the Division oversees the Tackle the Tape initiative, which sets out to create meaningful change for small businesses and consumers by reducing the number of cumbersome regulations.
The Business Services & Regulation Division administers Mississippi’s Corporation, Limited Liability Company and Uniform Commercial Code laws and handles filings related to business formations and other business regulation including trademarks or service marks.
The Regulation & Enforcement Division issues notary commissions, registers correspondence schools, and administers trademark, service mark, and non-profit laws and serves as a default agent for service of process. It is also tasked with regulating pre-need/perpetual care providers, enforcing scrap metal laws in the state, and overseeing administrative procedures for state government.
The Charities Division is responsible for the registration and regulation of all charitable organizations and fund-raisers who solicit contributions in Mississippi. The Division is also responsible for the investigation of charity complaints and/or violations to the state’s charitable laws.
The Public Lands Division has the constitutional and statutory authority for enforcement of the Sixteenth Section Public School Trust Lands and Lieu Lands laws, development and implementation of the Public Trust Tidelands Management Programs, sale of lands forfeited to the state for non-payment of ad valorem taxes, inventory of state agency lands and services to the public and governmental subdivisions relating to sales, acquisitions, leasing, and title of the state’s real property assets.
The Securities Division is responsible for regulating both the sale of securities and the securities professionals who sell them. In addition, the Division works with federal and state prosecuting authorities to investigate and bring charges against violators of the state’s securities laws. The Division carries out these functions under the authority granted to it by the Mississippi Securities Act.
The External Affairs Division builds strong partnerships with business development organizations across the state to drive economic growth, while connecting the agency’s resources to support both new and existing Mississippi businesses. The Division also cultivates strong relationships within the conservation community, uniting diverse partners around shared goals to protect natural resources and secure sustainable outcomes for future generations of Mississippians.
The Mississippi Constitution also designates the Secretary of State as “Keeper of the Capitol.”