Article 5 Section 1N - Executive department; state officers; terms; election; residence and office at seat of government; duties
1. Executive department; state officers; terms; election; residence and office at seat of government; duties
Section 1. A. The executive department shall consist of the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, state treasurer and superintendent of public instruction, each of whom shall hold office for four years beginning on the first Monday of January, 1971 next after the regular general election in 1970.
B. The person having the highest number of the votes cast for the office voted for shall be elected, but if two or more persons have an equal and the highest number of votes for the office, the two houses of the legislature at its next regular session shall elect forthwith, by joint ballot, one of such persons for said office.
C. Not later than sixty days before the general election unless the legislature prescribes otherwise by statute, each nominee for the office of governor shall name a lieutenant governor nominee and shall run on a ticket as a joint candidate in the general election with that nominee for the office of lieutenant governor. The name of the nominee for lieutenant governor shall appear on the ballot with or below the name of the joint nominee for governor in a manner that indicates they are running on a ticket as joint candidates. At the general election, a single vote for a nominee for governor shall constitute a vote for that nominee's ticket, including the nominee for lieutenant governor. For any winning candidate for governor at the general election, that winning candidate's joint candidate for lieutenant governor is the winning candidate for lieutenant governor.
D. The officers of the executive department during their terms of office shall reside at the seat of government where they shall keep their offices and the public records, books and papers. They shall perform such duties as are prescribed by the constitution and as may be provided by law.