Alexi Giannoulias

The Illinois Secretary of State is the second-largest constitutional office in the state and serves as the chief elections officer and custodian of the Great Seal of Illinois. The current secretary of state is Alexi Giannoulias, a Democrat who assumed office on January 9, 2023, succeeding Jesse White after White's retirement following six terms. Giannoulias previously served as the 72nd Illinois Treasurer from 2007 to 2011 and was a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2010.

The office is responsible for a wide range of duties, including maintaining official state records and the state seal, registering corporations and lobbyists, issuing driver’s licenses, registering motor vehicles, and regulating the securities industry. It also oversees the Illinois State Library, the State Archives, and the Secretary of State Police, a statewide law enforcement agency responsible for enforcing vehicle codes, investigating identity theft, and providing security at state facilities. The office operates 136 driver services facilities across the state and is third in the line of succession to the governor.

The Secretary of State’s office is headquartered in Springfield, Illinois, and is housed in three buildings within the Illinois State Capitol Complex: the Howlett Building, the Norton Building, and the Brooks Library. The office employs approximately 4,000 people across 20 departments and is one of the most diverse in terms of responsibilities among state secretaries of state nationwide.