Since the overturn of Roe, the national gaze has shifted towards state-level leadership. But who pulls the levers of power in states?
elected as state-level secretaries of state. Twenty states have never had a woman secretary of state. The first woman and first woman of color secretary of state was Soledad C. Chacon of New Mexico. Currently, 11 women hold the position nationwide—meaning only 22 percent of U.S. secretaries of state are women.
In order to build a democracy that works for everyone, women and minorities must be represented at every level of government in every position possible. Women and women of color face unique challenges when it comes to voting. The best way to address these obstacles is to elect and appoint secretaries of state who have experienced the issues firsthand, as they are the most qualified to advocate for necessary changes that promote and protect access to the ballot.
Critically, systemic barriers like gender bias in party recruitment and PAC funding, and the numerous issues in our winner-take-all election system create an environment completely stacked against women candidates. We must implement systems changes to break these barriers, and ensure gender-balanced governance. Gender-balanced funding and recruitment targets can help the issue of women’s underrepresentation in politics and remove barriers so more women run.
Secretaries of state play a critical role in protecting and implementing fair and free elections and are truly on the front lines of protecting our democracy. The significance of this role makes ensuring adequate representation in this position of utmost importance. As you gear up to vote this fall, we hope this explainer has helped demystify the role of secretary of state and what important players they are in state-level governance.
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