The Michigan Department of State is the oldest department in state government, and is administered by the Secretary of State. The Secretary is the third-ranking official in the State of Michigan. As the name implies, the officeholder was originally responsible for much of state government, but now the duties are similar to those of the other 47 secretaries of states across the United States. In the event that the governor and lieutenant governor are both absent from the state or the offices are concurrently vacant for some other reason, the secretary of state serves as the governor. In Michigan, the secretary of state is not only responsible for elections, but also oversees vehicle registration and the licensing of automobile drivers, similar to a motor vehicles regulator in other states. The officeholder also oversees and regulates notaries public and is the keeper of the Great Seal of Michigan. Under state law, the secretary of state must have at least one office in each of Michigan's 83 counties. The current Secretary of State is Ruth Johnson. Wikipedia [ - ]

The Michigan Department of State is the oldest department in state government, and is... [ + ]