The Secretary of State is one of four state offices authorized by the Kansas Constitution. Among the many duties of the office, the Kansas Secretary of State is responsible for administering elections, collecting certain records of Kansas businesses and publishing the official publications for the State of Kansas. As a result, hundreds of thousands of documents are maintained by the Secretary of State.

The Secretary of State is elected to a four year term which begins the second Monday in January, following the November general election. Kansas law does not impose term limits on those serving as Kansas Secretary of State. In the instance where the position of Secretary of State becomes vacant, the governor shall appoint an individual to serve the remainder of the term.