Minnesota Office of the Secretary of State Key Facts and 30-60-90 Day Priorities for Incoming 23rd Secretary of State on First Monday of January 2027

Key Facts About Minnesota Secretary of State Transition

Taking Office: The secretary of state is elected by the people on Election Day in November, and takes office on the first Monday of the next January. So the 23rd Secretary of State would assume office on the first Monday of January 2027.

Current Structure: There are approximately 100 staff in the office, with a statutory salary of $127,717 for the Secretary of State position.

Organizational Authority and Flexibility

Staff Appointments and Legal Team

The Secretary of State has significant discretion in making key appointments within their office. Recent examples show this authority in action:

Secretary Simon announced two appointments, Government Relations Director Nicole Freeman, and Voter Outreach Director Simone Frierson
Secretary Simon announced the appointment of Paul Linnell as Elections Director for the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State

Legal Team: While not explicitly required to "pick a lawyer team," the office works closely with legal counsel. The Secretary of State operates within Minnesota's broader legal framework and would coordinate with the Attorney General's office for major legal matters, but would have discretion to hire legal staff or consultants for office-specific needs.

Organizational Structure

The office consists of several key divisions:

Elections Division - The office's Elections Division handles election administration
Business Services Division - The Secretary of State's Business Services Division makes up more than half of the Office of the Secretary of State, and provides customer service and filing services to those conducting business in Minnesota
Administration Division - The Secretary of State's Administration Division serves to assist the Secretary with his constitutional duties
UCC Division - Handles Uniform Commercial Code filings
Safe at Home Program - Address confidentiality program

Budget Authority and Constraints

Revenue Generation

Fees for these services add approximately $22 million to the General Fund each biennium through business filing fees, giving the office some financial independence.

Budget Appropriations

The office operates under legislative appropriations. Recent budget documents show:

The Office of the Secretary of State proposes a $220,000 increase in funding for the Safe at Home program
The Governor recommends an additional appropriation of $29,000 in the Special Revenue Fund to the Office of the Secretary of State (OSS) for the continued implementation of the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA)

First 30-60-90 Days Priorities

Immediate (30 Days)

Staff Assessment: Review the ~100 current staff members and key positions
Division Head Appointments: Appoint or retain Elections Director, Business Services Director, and other key division heads
Budget Review: Understand current biennial budget and any pending funding requests
Stakeholder Meetings: Meet with county election officials, business community representatives
Constitutional Duties: Begin fulfilling role as keeper of the Great Seal and chief election officer

Medium Term (60 Days)

Policy Implementation: Develop any new initiatives within existing statutory framework
Technology Assessment: Review election systems and business filing systems
Legislative Coordination: If the Legislature is in session, coordinate on any relevant bills
Federal Compliance: Ensure compliance with HAVA and other federal requirements

Long Term (90 Days)

Strategic Planning: Develop longer-term vision for office improvements
Budget Preparation: Begin preparing for next biennial budget request
Partnership Development: Strengthen relationships with other constitutional officers

Constraints and Limitations

Constitutional Framework: The duties and salaries of the executive officers shall be prescribed by law
Legislative Oversight: Major changes require legislative approval
Civil Service Rules: Most staff positions follow state civil service regulations
Budget Authority: Limited to legislative appropriations, though fee revenue provides some flexibility

The incoming Secretary of State would have considerable discretion in personnel decisions for key leadership positions, program priorities within statutory mandates, and operational improvements, but would be constrained by existing law, budget appropriations, and civil service rules for most staff positions.

I'll search for more detailed information about the current staff structure and specific roles within the Minnesota Secretary of State's office.Let me search for more specific staff information and contact details.Let me try a different approach to find staff directory information.Let me search for Minnesota Secretary of State organizational chart or staff listing documents.Based on my research, I can provide information about the known key staff positions in the Minnesota Secretary of State's office, though a complete detailed staff directory with all ~100 employees and their specific roles is not publicly available. Here's what I found:

Known Key Staff Members and Roles:

Elected Official:

Steve Simon - Secretary of State (current, until January 2027) - Constitutional officer, chief elections official, keeper of Great Seal

Senior Leadership Positions:

Paul Linnell - Elections Director for the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State - Oversees statewide election administration and voter registration systems
Nicole Freeman - Government Relations Director - Manages legislative and stakeholder relationships
Simone Frierson - Voter Outreach Director - Leads voter education and community engagement programs

Division Structure (Leadership roles to be filled):

Business Services Division Director - Oversees corporate filings, business registrations (makes up over half the office)
Administration Division Director - Handles constitutional duties, Open Appointments process, official documents
UCC Division Director - Manages Uniform Commercial Code filings and Central Notification System
Safe at Home Program Director - Administers address confidentiality program for domestic violence survivors

Contact Information Available:

Business Services - business.services@state.mn.us, (651) 296-2803
Elections Department - elections.dept@state.mn.us, (651) 215-1440
General Office - secretary.state@state.mn.us, (651) 201-1324

Staff Structure Overview:

There are approximately 100 staff in the office
The Secretary of State's Business Services Division makes up more than half of the Office of the Secretary of State
Staff organized into Elections, Business Services, Administration, UCC, and Safe at Home divisions
Mix of appointed leadership positions and civil service employees

Note: The specific names and roles of the remaining ~95 staff members are not publicly listed in a comprehensive directory. The incoming 23rd Secretary of State would receive a complete organizational chart and staff roster during the transition process, allowing them to assess retention and appointment decisions for key leadership positions while most operational staff would continue under civil service protections.

Based on my research, here are the conditions under which operational staff in the Minnesota Secretary of State's office could be changed:

Civil Service Protections

Most operational staff in Minnesota state government are covered by civil service rules, which provide significant job protection. However, staff can be changed under these conditions:

1. Performance-Based Actions

Poor performance evaluations - Following progressive discipline procedures
Failure to meet job requirements - After appropriate training and improvement opportunities
Misconduct or policy violations - Following due process procedures
Incompetence - With documented evidence and proper procedures

2. Budgetary/Organizational Changes

Budget cuts or reorganization - In the event these funds are not received, the Safe at Home program will be unable to maintain its current level of service shows programs can face funding reductions
Position elimination - If legislature reduces appropriations or restructures programs
Layoffs due to lack of work - Following seniority and bumping rights procedures
Program discontinuation - If statutory authority for certain functions is removed

3. Administrative Reorganization

Voluntary transfers - Staff may request moves to other departments
Reassignments - Within classification and salary grade, with proper justification
Retirements - Natural turnover through retirement eligibility
Resignations - Voluntary departures for other opportunities

4. Legal/Compliance Issues

Criminal conviction affecting job duties
Loss of required professional licenses (for positions requiring specific credentials)
Security clearance issues (for positions handling sensitive information)
Conflict of interest violations

Limitations on Changes

Cannot Do:

Political purges - Cannot fire civil service employees for political reasons
Arbitrary dismissals - Must follow due process and have documented cause
Discrimination - Protected by equal employment opportunity laws
Retaliation - Against whistleblowers or union activities

Must Follow:

Progressive discipline procedures for performance issues
Union contract provisions if applicable
Appeals processes through Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB)
Documentation requirements for all personnel actions

Strategic Approach for New Secretary of State

Immediate Options (30-60 days):

Assess leadership team - Replace appointed division heads and key managers
Review organizational structure - Identify redundancies or inefficiencies
Evaluate performance - Begin documenting any serious performance issues

Medium-term Options (60-180 days):

Reorganize divisions - Restructure reporting relationships within legal bounds
Cross-train staff - Develop flexibility in job assignments
Identify skill gaps - Plan for future hiring or training needs

Long-term Options (6+ months):

Budget proposals - Request staffing changes in next biennial budget
Position reclassification - Work with MMB to modify job descriptions and requirements
Succession planning - Prepare for expected retirements or departures

Practical Reality

The incoming Secretary of State would have limited ability to make immediate wholesale staff changes due to civil service protections. The most effective approach would be:

Focus on leadership appointments - Fill key appointed positions with aligned personnel
Work within the system - Use existing performance management tools
Cultural change - Lead through example and clear communication of priorities
Legislative strategy - If major organizational changes are needed, work with legislature on statutory modifications

Bottom line: While the Secretary of State has considerable authority over policy direction and appointed leadership, changing operational civil service staff requires documented cause, proper procedures, and often significant time - making strategic leadership appointments and organizational culture change more practical approaches for implementing a new vision.

Current Use of the $22 Million in Business Filing Fees

Revenue Source: Fees for these services add approximately $22 million to the General Fund each biennium from business filings, renewals, and related services.

Current Allocation: The fees go directly into Minnesota's General Fund, not into a dedicated Secretary of State account. Expenditures from the state General Fund can be made for any authorized state activity subject to legislative appropriation limits.

Examples of Current General Fund Uses

Under current law about 87% of the money in the state General Fund will be spent in the next two fiscal years on the following: K through 12 education, higher education, health and human services, and aid to local governments. Less than 13% of the General Fund money will be spent on all other state agency operations and services.

Specific Recent Allocations Include:

$22 million to help counties fund the perpetuation of public land survey monuments
$4.08 million in additional funding would be directed to the Office of the Secretary of State, including $1.12 million to support increasing needs of county and municipal administrators
Almost $2.6 million from the General Fund would create a voting operations, technology, and election resources account in the special revenue fund to help local elections officials with costs

Potential for Repurposing Toward Elections and County Support

Legal Framework:

The Minnesota Constitution only allows money to be paid out of the state treasury according to an appropriation that is passed by the legislature and signed by the Governor.

Recent legislation shows the state is already investing in election infrastructure:

County Support: The secretary of state's office must transfer $3 million in fiscal years 2026 and 2027 from the General Fund to the voting operations, technology, and election resources account
Federal Matching: A one-time $200,000 appropriation in fiscal year 2026 would go to the Secretary of State's Office for the Help America Vote Act account. Minnesota received $1 million in federal funds in 2024, and this funding is the required 20% state match
Security Improvements: These dollars are primarily used for election security measures like cybersecurity software, improvements to the statewide voter registration system and the security navigator team

Possibilities for New Secretary of State in 2027

What Could Be Proposed:

Enhanced County Partnerships
- Expanded funding for county election administrator training
- Technology upgrades for voter registration systems
- Equipment standardization across counties
Voter Education Initiatives
- Statewide civic education programs
- Multilingual voter outreach
- Digital engagement platforms
Election Security Enhancements
- Cybersecurity improvements
- Audit capabilities
- Backup system redundancies
Business Services Integration
- Online services expansion
- Digital document processing
- Small business support programs

Constraints and Process:

Cannot Directly Repurpose: The Secretary of State cannot unilaterally redirect the $22 million since it flows to the General Fund, not a dedicated account.

Legislative Process Required: A direct appropriation is a specified amount of money for a specified period of time. A direct appropriation is not part of permanent law because of its limited time period. An agency that received a direct appropriation must receive a new appropriation in the next biennium in order to continue its program.

Strategic Approach:

Biennial Budget Proposal (2027): Request specific appropriations for election-related activities
Legislative Advocacy: Work with legislators to earmark portions of General Fund revenue
Federal Leverage: Use state funds to match federal election security grants
Fee Structure: Potentially propose modest fee increases to fund specific election initiatives

Realistic Timeline:

2027-2029 Biennium: The incoming Secretary of State could propose and potentially secure:

$5-10 million for enhanced county election support
$2-3 million for voter education and outreach
$1-2 million for technology modernization
Connection of these investments to the demonstrated revenue stream from business services

Bottom Line: While the Secretary of State cannot directly control the $22 million in business filing fees, they have significant opportunity to advocate for General Fund appropriations that could reasonably be supported by this revenue stream, especially for election administration, county partnerships, and voter education initiatives that align with the office's constitutional duties.