[a] Twenty-seven individuals have occupied the office of secretary of the Commonwealth over the ensuing centuries.

[2] Institutionally speaking, the secretary of the Commonwealth is thus completely independent of both the governor and General Court for the purpose of performing their official duties.

These constitutional protections notwithstanding, the secretary may still be impeached for misconduct or maladministration by the House of Representatives and, if found guilty, removed from office by the Senate.

[3] Any person seeking election to the office of secretary of the Commonwealth must meet the following requirements: In the event of a vacancy in the office of secretary of the Commonwealth, the General Court is charged, if in session, with electing from among the eligible citizens of the Commonwealth a successor to serve the balance of the prior secretary's term in office.

[b] If, however, the vacancy occurs while the General Court is not in session, then responsibility for appointing a successor falls to the governor.