1-8-1. General duties of secretary of state.

It is the duty of the secretary of state:

(1)    To file official acts of the Governor to which attestation over the Governor's signature and the great seal is required;

(2)    To affix the great seal and the secretary's attestation to all commissions, pardons, and other public instruments to which the signature of the Governor is required except such as relate to school and public lands, and also in attesting and authenticating all certificates, charters, and any and all other documents properly issued by the secretary;

(3)    To record in proper books all conveyances made to the state, all appointments and commissions made by the Governor and all official bonds filed in the secretary's office, except bonds of notaries public. All deeds, abstracts of title, and other title papers pertaining to lands owned by the state or by any department or institution of the state, except those under the control of the commissioner of school and public lands, must be filed and preserved in the office of the secretary of state;

(4)    To file any document, official oath, official bond, articles of incorporation and amendments thereof, and letters of acceptance which the law requires to be filed in the secretary's office;

(5)    To furnish on demand to any person, company, or corporation having paid the lawful fees therefor, a certified copy or copies of all or any part of any law, record, or other instrument kept on file in the secretary's office;

(6)    To prepare immediately previous to any regular session of the Legislature, from the proper election returns filed in his office, a roll of all senators elect, and deliver the same to the president of the senate at least thirty minutes before the time fixed by law for the opening of the session; to prepare from such election returns a roll of all the members elected to the house of representatives, and at the time fixed by law to call such members to order and preside until a speaker is elected;

(7)    To receipt all fees collected by the secretary under any provision of law, with the date, name of payor, and the nature of the services in each case, which fees so collected by the secretary shall be paid into the state treasury monthly and report thereof made as provided by law;

(8)    To cause to be published and distributed a sufficient number of copies of the title, "Elections" for all election officers and to publish and distribute from time to time any amendments made thereto or to the general election laws of this state;

(9)    To perform such other duties as are required of the secretary by law.

Source: SDC 1939, § 55.1201; SL 1980, ch 23, § 5; SL 1985, ch 5, § 1; SL 2023, ch 3, § 5.