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Office of the Secretary of State

See below.

The Office of the Secretary of State is the chief election officer of the state and administers elections and voter registration in partnership with county auditors and election offices through the elections division; registers domestic partnerships, charities, nonprofits, and business entities, such as corporations, through the Corporations Division; preserves, manages, and provides access to the historical and legal records of state and local governments through the State Archives; provides access to Washington history, culture and government through the State Library, which also provides resources, leadership and coordination to community libraries throughout the state; provides accessible materials to the sight impaired through the Washington Talking Book and Braille Library; provides a confidential address for victims of domestic violence and stalking through the Address Confidentiality Program; encourages and facilitates charitable giving by state employees and retirees through payroll deductions through the Combined Fund Drive; and creates exhibits and publications of our state’s history, including oral histories, through Legacy Washington; and maintains the State Seal for use on official state documents and regulates its use. RCW: 18.100, 18.190, 19.02, 19.09, 19.34, 19.77, 23B, 24, 25, 26.60, 27.04, 29A, 36.22.170; 36.22.175, 40.06, 40.14, 40.24, 41.04, 42.56, 43.04, 43.07, and 65.24. State Constitution Article II, Sec. 1; Article III, Sec. 1,

Agency Mission

Provide the public with relevant information about, and access to, Washington State’s history, businesses, and elections. The office promotes public trust by: safeguarding vital government records, documents, and processes; preserving the integrity of elections in Washington State; providing the business community and public with easy access to information about corporations and charities; and leveraging technology to improve efficiency and customer services.
Request 158,125,000
Net change from current biennium (39,376,000) Decrease
Percent change from current biennium (19.9%) Decrease

Operating Budget: Summary

Appropriated Funds

2023-25 Appropriations Appropriated Funds Expenditures
Amount Estimated Balance   2021-23 Actual 2023-25 Estimated 2025-27 Proposed
8,606,000 General Fund - Federal 12,294,676 8,606,000 8,900,000
4,487,000 Election Account - Federal 685,156 4,487,000 4,499,000
Coronavirus St Fiscal Recovery Fund - Federal 405,000
General Fund - Private/Local
(133,000) Wash State Legacy Proj, State Lib - Nonappropriated 488,592 133,000 150,000
(745,000) WA State Library Operations Acct - Nonappropriated 240,587 745,000 746,000
(21,834,000) Secretary of State's Revolving Acct - Nonappropriated 19,641,786 21,834,000 22,479,000
Info Tech Invest Rev Acct - Nonappropriated 882,072
(938,000) Imaging Account - Nonappropriated 879,646 938,000 974,000
WA State Combined Fund Drive Acct - Nonappropriated 8,314,400
118,707,000 General Fund - State 65,292,500 118,707,000 76,087,000
11,702,000 Public Records Efficiency, Preserva - State 10,307,696 11,702,000 11,125,000
Disaster Response Account - State
1,233,000 Charitable Organization Education - State 1,279,350 1,233,000 1,305,000
14,765,000 WA State Library Operations Acct - State 10,785,766 14,765,000 17,775,000
2,262,000 Personnel Service Account - State 127,625 2,262,000 1,700,000
12,089,000 Local Government Archives Account - State 8,048,839 12,089,000 12,385,000
Pension Funding Stabilization Acct - State
Election Account - State
173,851,000 (23,650,000) Total Appropriated Funds 139,673,691 197,501,000 158,125,000

Non-Appropriated Funds

Capital Budget: Summary

  Appropriated Funds Expenditures
Amount Estimated Balance   Actual Estimated Proposed
WA State Library Operations Acct - Nonappropriated 495,213
1,671,000 108,000 State Building Construction Account - State 3,598,286 1,563,000 2,430,000
8,000,000 WA St Library-Archives Bldg Account - State 8,000,000 6,949,000
9,671,000 108,000 Total Appropriated Funds 4,093,499 9,563,000 9,379,000

Operating Budget: Program Summary

Program Title Actual Estimated Proposed
Actual Estimated Estimated Proposed Proposed
Annual Total 82,343,985 80,369,014 31,993,917 75,418,000 82,707,000

Operating Budget: Change from Preceding Biennium

Actual Estimated Proposed
Amount Percent Amount Percent Amount Percent
15,899,568 13.8% (18,996,361) (14.5%) 45,762,070 40.7%

Employment Summary

  Actual Estimated Proposed
  2022-23 Actual 2023-24 Estimated 2024-25 Estimated 2025-26 Proposed 2026-27 Proposed
FTE Staff Years 268.1 294.5 315.3 350.7 349.7