Georgia Secretary of State

The Georgia Secretary of State's office serves as the state’s chief election official, responsible for overseeing all aspects of the electoral process including voter registration, absentee and early voting, ballot preparation, and the certification of election results. It also administers campaign finance disclosure requirements, ensuring that political contributions and expenditures are reported in accordance with state law. Beyond elections, the office manages the state’s business services division, which handles the filing and maintenance of corporate entities, limited liability companies, partnerships, and trademarks, as well as the issuance of notary public commissions and apostilles for international documents. The office maintains the official state seal and preserves historical records, providing public access to legislative and executive documents through its archives division. It coordinates with county election officials to ensure uniform application of voting procedures across Georgia’s 159 counties and provides training and support to local election administrators. The office also engages in voter outreach and education initiatives aimed at increasing participation and informing citizens about their rights and responsibilities under state and federal election statutes.

In its regulatory capacity, the Georgia Secretary of State's office enforces compliance with the Georgia Election Code and works closely with federal agencies such as the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to safeguard election infrastructure, as demonstrated by its successful defense against a coordinated cyberattack on the absentee voting website in October 2024. The office’s cybersecurity team detected unusual traffic spikes, mitigated the distributed denial‑of‑service attempt, and confirmed that election operations remained uninterrupted, highlighting its ability to respond to sophisticated threats. Structurally, the office is an elected position within the executive branch of the Georgia state government, with the Secretary of State serving as a constitutional officer chosen by statewide vote. It operates without a parent corporation or subsidiary structure, deriving its authority directly from the state constitution and statutes enacted by the Georgia General Assembly. The office’s headquarters are located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.