Duties & Responsibilities of the Ohio Secretary of State
Chief Election Officer
As Ohio’s Chief Election Officer, the Secretary of State oversees the administration of elections across all 88 counties. Key responsibilities include:
Appointing members to each county Board of Elections
Training election officials and working with counties to train poll workers
Supervising and enforcing Ohio’s election laws
Investigating reports of election fraud or irregularities
Reviewing statewide initiative and referendum petitions
Presiding over the Ohio Ballot Board, which approves ballot language for statewide issues
Overseeing campaign finance compliance for statewide candidates, political action committees (PACs), state political parties, and others
The Elections Division also compiles, maintains, and publishes official election statistics and related records.
In addition, the Secretary of State serves as a member of the Ohio Redistricting Commission, which meets every 10 years after the U.S. Census to redraw Ohio House and Senate district boundaries based on population changes.
Business Services
The Secretary of State’s Business Services Division supports Ohio’s economic growth by helping businesses start, operate, and expand. This includes:
Approving articles of incorporation for new Ohio businesses and corporate amendments, mergers, consolidations, and dissolutions
Licensing out-of-state corporations to operate in Ohio
Processing filings for limited partnerships and limited liability companies (LLCs)
Registering trademarks, trade names, service marks, and fictitious names
Documenting secured commercial transactions that allow parties to declare an interest in collateral used for a loan
Maintaining other important business records
Records Certification and Filing
The Secretary of State also handles a variety of official document certifications and filings for the State of Ohio. This includes issuing apostilles and authenticating documents intended for international use, receiving and filing laws passed by the Ohio General Assembly and executive orders issued by the governor, commissioning notaries, and licensing ministers in the state.