Page:Constitution of Maine 2013.pdf/26

 able to discharge the duties of the office of Governor and the court, after notice to the Governor and a hearing before the court, decides that the Governor is able to discharge the duties of that office and so notifies the officer who is exercising the powers and duties of the office of Governor.

Whenever either the President of the Senate or Speaker of the House of Representatives shall exercise the office of Governor, the officer shall receive only the compensation of Governor, but the officer's duties as President or Speaker shall be suspended; and the Senate or House shall fill the vacancy resulting from such suspension, until the officer shall cease to exercise the office of Governor.

'''Section 1. Election.''' The Secretary of State shall be chosen biennially at the first session of the Legislature, by joint ballot of the Senators and Representatives in convention.

'''Section 1-A. Succession to the office of Secretary of State.''' If a vacancy occurs in the office of the Secretary of State, the first deputy secretary of state shall act as the Secretary of State until a Secretary of State is elected by the Legislature during the current session if in session, or at the next regular or special session.

'''Section 2. Records of State; deputies.''' The records of the State shall be kept in the office of the secretary, who may appoint deputies to that office, for whose conduct the secretary shall be accountable.

'''Section 3. Attend the Governor, Senate, and House.''' The Secretary of State shall attend the Governor, Senate and House of Representatives, in person or by the deputies of the Secretary of State as they shall respectively require.

'''Section 4. Records of executive and legislative departments.''' The Secretary of State shall carefully keep and preserve the records of all the official acts and proceedings of the Governor, Senate and House of Representatives, and, when required, lay the same before either branch of the Legislature, and perform such other duties as are enjoined by this Constitution, or shall be required by law.