moːɹˈoʊvɚ, ðə sˈɛkɹətɹi ʌv stˈeɪt ɪz sˈɛkənd ɪnðɪ ˈɔːɹdɚɹ ʌv səksˈɛʃən tə ðɪ ˈɑːfɪs ʌv ɡˈʌvɚnɚ; ˌʌndɚ ðə kˈɜːɹənt tˈɜːmz ʌvðə kˌɑːnstɪtˈuːʃən, ɪf ðə ɡˈʌvɚnɚ dˈaɪz, ɹɪzˈaɪnz ɔːɹ ɪz ɹᵻmˈuːvd fɹʌm ˈɑːfɪs ænd ðɪ ˈɑːfɪs ʌvðə luːtˈɛnənt ɡˈʌvɚnɚɹ ɪz vˈeɪkənt, ðə sˈɛkɹətɹi ʌv stˈeɪt bɪkˌʌmz ɡˈʌvɚnɚ, wˈɛɹæz ɪnðə vˈeɪkənsi ʌvðɪ ˈɑːfɪs ʌv luːtˈɛnənt ɡˈʌvɚnɚ ænd ðɪ ˈæbsəns fɹʌmðə stˈeɪt, ɪmpˈiːtʃmənt ɔːɹ ɪnɐbˈɪləɾi tə sˈɜːv dˈuː tʊ ˈɪlnəs ɔnðə pˈɑːɹt ʌvðə ɡˈʌvɚnɚ, ðə sˈɛkɹətɹi ʌv stˈeɪt mˈɪɹli bɪkˌʌmz ˈæktɪŋ ɡˈʌvɚnɚ.
Moreover, the Secretary of State is second in the order of succession to the office of Governor; under the current terms of the constitution, if the Governor dies, resigns or is removed from office and the office of the Lieutenant Governor is vacant, the Secretary of State becomes Governor, whereas in the vacancy of the office of Lieutenant Governor and the absence from the state, impeachment or inability to serve due to illness on the part of the Governor, the Secretary of State merely becomes Acting Governor.