The role of a lieutenant governor can vary by state, but commonly it includes responsibilities such as:
- to check and balance the actions of the governor
- to maintain order and decorum on the senate floor
- to cast the tie-breaking vote in the state legislature
- to take over the governor’s duties if the governor is out of state
Given these options, while the roles can overlap, the most accurate choice for a general understanding of the role of a lieutenant governor would be:
to take over the governor’s duties if the governor is out of state.
This is a primary responsibility that many lieutenant governors have. However, it's important to note that lieutenant governors may also have legislative duties, such as breaking tie votes in legislative bodies.