The answer to that question is a bit complicated and depends on a few different factors. In short, the Secretary of State’s office may or may not be open on Columbus Day, depending on whether state employees are required to work that day.
State Employees Working on Columbus Day
The following state offices are closed: AL |AZ | CT | DC | GA | ID | IL | IN | ME | MD | MA | MN | MO | MT | NE | NJ |NM | NY |OH | PA | RI | UT | VA
Whether or not state employees are required to work on Columbus Day will ultimately determine if the Secretary of State’s office is open. For example, in 2017, Ohio Governor John Kasich issued an executive order declaring that state offices would be closed on Columbus Day. This meant that the Secretary of State’s office was also closed.
In contrast, other states have chosen to keep state offices open on Columbus Day. Massachusetts, for example, has traditionally kept state offices open on all federal holidays, including Columbus Day. As a result, Massachusetts’s Secretary of State’s office has also remained open on Columbus Day in recent years.
It’s worth noting that even if the Secretary of State’s office is closed on Columbus Day, you may still be able to complete some transactions online. For example, in Ohio, you can renew your driver’s license online even when the physical office is closed. And in Massachusetts, you can order a birth certificate or register your car online even when the Secretary of State’s office is closed.
Conclusion
So there you have it! The answer to whether or not the Secretary of State’s office is open on Columbus Day is a bit complicated and depends on whether state employees are required to work that day. Even if the office is closed, you may still be able to complete some transactions online.