The secretary of state's office is the referee of North Carolina business, keeping the game flowing and ensuring that rules are enforced fairly.
And while the latest race to fill the post might not be the main event on Election Day, candidates say their victory would make a difference.
On Tuesday, incumbent Elaine Marshall will face off against Republican Jay Rao for the position in a race that boasts a pair of candidates from different backgrounds. While Marshall was reared in law, Rao's background is in business.
Despite this difference, both candidates see their experience as a strength.
"I'm actually uniquely qualified for this position," Rao said, adding that her detailed political and business background has provided her with the abilities to meet the various challenges of being secretary of state.
Rao also said her life experiences, including her move to North Carolina from India at age 4, allow her to bridge the gap between government and business.
Marshall, on the other hand, sees things differently.
"As a lawyer, I've been a user of the secretary of state's office," Marshall said, stressing that a law background is almost a requirement for the position.
"I honestly can't imagine a non-lawyer running a very legal office."
While the candidates differ in their backgrounds, their goals are similar.
Both want to protect state jobs, help small businesses and provide the elderly with a financial education.
"The biggest issue for me and the reason I'm running is the jobs that have been lost," Rao said, adding that the state's corporate tax rate of 6.9 percent hasn't helped.
Marshall said she wants to continue in her third term what she started in her first - keeping business services fast, accessible and free.
"I turned this agency around morale-wise," she said.
When Marshall arrived in 1997, she said even basic functions of corporations took six to eight weeks to complete. Now she said the office is a model of efficiency. "If we want to be viable and vital in the future, we need to reduce the cost of business."
The candidates also differed slightly on the issue of small businesses, with Rao claiming that the secretary's office needs to pay more attention to the community.,
"I want to be a champion for small business," Rao said.
The race for secretary of state also is on the mind of prominent Republicans.
Senatorial candidate Richard Burr is the chairman of Rao's campaign.
While Marshall said the Democrats do not have the same web of support, she challenged voters to recall how drastically the office has changed since she took the reins in 1997.
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
