The secretary of state of California is the chief clerk of the U.S. state of California, overseeing a department of 500 people. The secretary of state is elected for four year terms, like the state's other constitutional officers; the officeholder is restricted by term limits to two terms. The current secretary of state is Shirley Weber, who assumed the role following the resignation of Alex Padilla, who was appointed to become the U.S. Senator for California following Kamala Harris' resignation to become the Vice President of the United States.