Tre Hargett was elected by the Tennessee General Assembly to serve as Tennessee’s 37th secretary of state in 2009 and re-elected in 2013, 2017, and 2021. Secretary Hargett is the chief executive officer of the Department of State with oversight of more than 300 employees. He also serves on 16 boards and commissions, on two of which he is the presiding member. The services and oversight found in the Secretary of State's office reach every department and agency in state government.
Accuracy, cost-effectiveness and accountability drive every decision within the department. Secretary Hargett places a premium on customer service while leveraging technology to create efficiencies that benefit taxpayers with a customer-centered approach to state government. These factors and more are reasons why the Tennessee Department of State has been designated by the Tennessean a Top Workplace in 2019 and 2020.
The Secretary of State’s office is responsible for keeping a register of the official acts and proceedings of the governor and providing those records to the General Assembly. It also must keep track of all acts and resolutions adopted by the General Assembly and all state administrative rules and regulations.
The office also collects and maintains other business records for the state, including corporate charters, annual report, trademarks and the execution of notary commissions.
Divisions include the Division of Administrative Procedures, Division of Business Services, Division of Charitable Solicitations, Fantasy Sports and Gaming, Division of Elections, Division of Publications, Division of Records Management, the Safe at Home Program and the Tennessee State Library and Archives.