{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/2.2-400.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/2.2-400.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/2.2-400.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/2.2-400.html"}],"law_id":80838,"edition_id":1,"section_id":80838,"structure_id":13134,"section_number":"2.2-400","catch_line":"Appointment and term of office; filling vacancies; oath","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 2-59; 1958, c. 1, \u00a7 2-57.1; 1966, c. 677, \u00a7\u00a7 2.1-65, 2.1-67; 2001, c. 844.","full_text":"A\n\nThe Governor shall appoint, subject to confirmation by the General Assembly, a Secretary of the Commonwealth for a term commencing on the Monday after the third Wednesday in January after his inauguration. The appointment shall be for a term of four years. Vacancies shall be filled by appointment by the Governor for the unexpired term and shall be effective until thirty days after the next meeting of the ensuing General Assembly and, if confirmed, thereafter for the remainder of the term.B\n\nThe Secretary of the Commonwealth, before he acts as such, shall, in addition to the other oaths prescribed by law, take an oath to keep secret such matters as he may be required by the Governor to conceal.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":289761,"text":"The Governor shall appoint, subject to confirmation by the General Assembly, a Secretary of the Commonwealth for a term commencing on the Monday after the third Wednesday in January after his inauguration. The appointment shall be for a term of four years. Vacancies shall be filled by appointment by the Governor for the unexpired term and shall be effective until thirty days after the next meeting of the ensuing General Assembly and, if confirmed, thereafter for the remainder of the term.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":289762,"text":"The Secretary of the Commonwealth, before he acts as such, shall, in addition to the other oaths prescribed by law, take an oath to keep secret such matters as he may be required by the Governor to conceal.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A"}},"ancestry":[{"id":13134,"edition_id":1,"name":"General Provisions","identifier":"1","label":"article","depth":5,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13133,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:19","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:19","permalink":{"id":172039,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13134,"identifier":"1","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/4\/1","url":"\/2.2\/I\/A\/4\/1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13133,"edition_id":1,"name":"Secretary of the Commonwealth","identifier":"4","label":"chapter","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13132,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:19","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:19","permalink":{"id":172037,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13133,"identifier":"4","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/4","url":"\/2.2\/I\/A\/4\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13132,"edition_id":1,"name":"Office of the Governor","identifier":"A","label":"part","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12784,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:19","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:19","permalink":{"id":171457,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13132,"identifier":"A","token":"2.2\/I\/A","url":"\/2.2\/I\/A\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12784,"edition_id":1,"name":"Organization of State Government","identifier":"I","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12749,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","permalink":{"id":171455,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12784,"identifier":"I","token":"2.2\/I","url":"\/2.2\/I\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12749,"edition_id":1,"name":"Administration of Government","identifier":"2.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":171453,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12749,"identifier":"2.2","token":"2.2","url":"\/2.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":80838,"structure_id":13134,"section_number":"2.2-400","catch_line":"Appointment and term of office; filling vacancies; oath","url":"\/2.2-400\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/4\/1\/2.2-400","metadata":false},{"id":54771,"structure_id":13134,"section_number":"2.2-401","catch_line":"Ex officio Secretary to Governor; in charge of division of records","url":"\/2.2-401\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/4\/1\/2.2-401","metadata":false},{"id":79241,"structure_id":13134,"section_number":"2.2-401.01","catch_line":"Liaison to Virginia Indian tribes; Ombudsman for Tribal Consultation; Virginia Indigenous People's Trust Fund","url":"\/2.2-401.01\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/4\/1\/2.2-401.01","metadata":false},{"id":68298,"structure_id":13134,"section_number":"2.2-401.1","catch_line":"Certified mail; subsequent mail or notices may be sent by regular mail","url":"\/2.2-401.1\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/4\/1\/2.2-401.1","metadata":false},{"id":76152,"structure_id":13134,"section_number":"2.2-402","catch_line":"Keeper of seals of Commonwealth; duties generally","url":"\/2.2-402\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/4\/1\/2.2-402","metadata":false},{"id":77648,"structure_id":13134,"section_number":"2.2-403","catch_line":"Compilation of compacts and related records and reports","url":"\/2.2-403\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/4\/1\/2.2-403","metadata":false},{"id":82210,"structure_id":13134,"section_number":"2.2-404","catch_line":"Certifying records for use in other states","url":"\/2.2-404\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/4\/1\/2.2-404","metadata":false},{"id":67854,"structure_id":13134,"section_number":"2.2-405","catch_line":"Secretary of Commonwealth to present list of vacancies to arise on commissions, boards, etc","url":"\/2.2-405\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/4\/1\/2.2-405","metadata":false},{"id":54163,"structure_id":13134,"section_number":"2.2-406","catch_line":"Secretary of Commonwealth to report list of interim appointments requiring confirmation; other appointments","url":"\/2.2-406\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/4\/1\/2.2-406","metadata":false},{"id":54303,"structure_id":13134,"section_number":"2.2-406.1","catch_line":"Secretary of Commonwealth to maintain and transfer records on collegial bodies to the Governor-elect","url":"\/2.2-406.1\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/4\/1\/2.2-406.1","metadata":false},{"id":85688,"structure_id":13134,"section_number":"2.2-407","catch_line":"Reserved","url":"\/2.2-407\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/4\/1\/2.2-407","metadata":false},{"id":79553,"structure_id":13134,"section_number":"2.2-408","catch_line":"Collection of information relevant to boundary changes from governmental subdivisions of Commonwealth","url":"\/2.2-408\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/4\/1\/2.2-408","metadata":false},{"id":69186,"structure_id":13134,"section_number":"2.2-409","catch_line":"Secretary of the Commonwealth","url":"\/2.2-409\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/4\/1\/2.2-409","metadata":false},{"id":72766,"structure_id":13134,"section_number":"2.2-410","catch_line":"Appointment of assistants; deputy to act in absence of Secretary; notice to Governor","url":"\/2.2-410\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/4\/1\/2.2-410","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":54771,"structure_id":13134,"section_number":"2.2-401","catch_line":"Ex officio Secretary to Governor; in charge of division of records","url":"\/2.2-401\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/4\/1\/2.2-401","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/2.2-400\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 3 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1958, chapter 1; in 1966, chapter 677; in 2001, chapter 844<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":172041,"object_type":"law","relational_id":80838,"identifier":"2.2-400","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/4\/1\/2.2-400","url":"\/2.2-400\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/2.2-400\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/4\/1\/2.2-400","dublin_core":{"Title":"Appointment and term of office; filling vacancies; oath","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 2.2-400","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> The Governor shall appoint, subject to confirmation by the General Assembly, a Secretary of the Commonwealth for a term commencing on the Monday after the third Wednesday in January after his inauguration. The appointment shall be for a term of four years. Vacancies shall be filled by appointment by the Governor for the unexpired term and shall be effective until thirty days after the next meeting of the ensuing General Assembly and, if confirmed, thereafter for the remainder of the term. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> The Secretary of the Commonwealth, before he acts as such, shall, in addition to the other oaths<\/span> prescribed by law<\/span>, take an oath<\/span> to keep secret such matters as he may be required by the Governor to conceal. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nAPPOINTMENT AND TERM OF OFFICE; FILLING VACANCIES; OATH (\u00a7 2.2-400)\n\nA. The Governor shall appoint, subject to confirmation by the General Assembly,\na Secretary of the Commonwealth for a term commencing on the Monday after the\nthird Wednesday in January after his inauguration. The appointment shall be for\na term of four years. Vacancies shall be filled by appointment by the Governor\nfor the unexpired term and shall be effective until thirty days after the next\nmeeting of the ensuing General Assembly and, if confirmed, thereafter for the\nremainder of the term.\n\nB. The Secretary of the Commonwealth, before he acts as such, shall, in addition\nto the other oaths prescribed by law, take an oath to keep secret such matters\nas he may be required by the Governor to conceal.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 2-59; 1958, c. 1, \u00a7 2-57.1; 1966, c. 677, \u00a7\u00a7 2.1-65,\n2.1-67; 2001, c. 844.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}