Voter guide 2023: Here are candidates for Kentucky secretary of state

Kentucky's primary elections conclude May 16, and registered Republican voters have the opportunity to choose the party's nominee for the secretary of state race this fall.

Kentucky's secretary of state is a constitutional officer tasked with being the state's chief election official, in addition to maintaining records on the status of nonprofits and corporations.

Only one Democrat. Charles Buddy Wheatley of Covington. filed to run for the office this year, so Republicans are the only ones who will vote for the race in the primary, with three candidates facing off.

Here is the background on these three candidates and their answers to several policy questions involving the office:

Michael Adams

Age: 47

Current job: Kentucky Secretary of State

Where do you live? Thornhill

Previous elected offices: Secretary of State, 2020-present

Campaign website: michaelgadams.com

Campaign Facebook: facebook.com/MichaelGAdamsNews

Campaign Twitter: @Adams4SecState

If elected, what — if any — changes would you make to Kentucky’s voting process?

In my term, we have implemented more reforms - for both voter access and ballot integrity - than were made in the terms of my 85 predecessors over 200+ years, combined: more voting days (including a Saturday), Photo ID to Vote, cleaned-up voter rolls (over 300,000 inactive voters removed, half of whom were deceased), transition to paper ballots, expanded post-election audits. In a second term my priority is to protect and build on these gains.

Do you believe there was significant election fraud in Kentucky’s 2022 general election, and do you think President Biden was legitimately elected in 2020?

There is no evidence of significant election fraud in Kentucky's 2022 general election, or in any other election over which I have presided as Kentucky's chief election official. As to 2020, while I believe that there was election fraud in other states (as suggested by criminal charges that have been brought), I do not believe it changed the outcome of the presidential election.

Outside of Kentucky’s election process, what is the biggest issue under this office’s domain that you’d like to address?

I'm also Kentucky's chief business official, and while I'm proud that in my term we've significantly improved our business filings website in order to make starting and operating a business in Kentucky easier, in a second term I'd like to further explore how we can facilitate a culture of entrepreneurship so that Kentucky is less reliant on out-of-state corporations for jobs.

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Stephen Knipper

Age: 52

Current job: Project manager/contractor

Where do you live? Erlanger

Previous elected offices: Two non-consecutive terms on Erlanger City Council

Campaign website: www.kyverify.com

Campaign Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/steve4sos

Campaign Twitter: @StephenKnipper

If elected, what – if any – changes would you make to Kentucky’s voting process?

I want to take control of the election process away from the voting machine companies and return it to the County Clerks. Also, return to de-centralized power where the local government has control and the Secretary of State is the servant to the Clerks.

Do you believe there was significant election fraud in Kentucky’s 2022 general election, and do you think President Biden was legitimately elected in 2020?

3 days ago, the Lexington Herald-Leader wrote a story about a County Constable and 6 other people from Monroe and Barren Counties who were indicted in a case of alleged criminal activity relating to the 2022 Primary Election.

In regards to Biden's election, we are 3 years into it and he's still fighting for legitimacy. This would not be a problem if the voting machine companies were more transparent in how this operation works.

Outside of Kentucky’s election process, what is the biggest issue under this office’s domain that you’d like to address?

I will petition to reverse Michael Adams' legislation that allows him and other entities to see early voting results and publicly reconcile the number of voters to the number of ballots cast, because they never match currently. Today, only the Secretary of State and Board of Elections reconcile the numbers that the County Clerks give them. The public never sees the number of voters compared to the number of ballots.

Allen Maricle

Age: 60

Current job:  Semi-retired from the media industry

Where do you live? Lebanon Junction

Previous elected offices: City council in Pioneer Village, State representative of the 49th district.

Campaign website: Weneedamairicle.us

Campaign Facebook: Allen Maricle for Secretary of State

If elected, what – if any – changes would you make to Kentucky’s voting process? 

Clean up the voter rolls. Eliminate the ERIC system as many states have in the last 70 days. Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, West Virginia, Iowa, Ohio, Florida and soon Arizona.

Also look into the voter machine process and give counties more options to choose from. Give back local control to the county clerk's.

Create an office called Election Integrity Task force to look into every election complaint and give prompt answers to the public.

Do you believe there was significant election fraud in Kentucky’s 2022 general election, and do you think President Biden was legitimately elected in 2020?

Yes I do, but the fraud was used in the Mail in Ballots but hard to prove. Also fraud buying of votes as there have been indictments just recently. I know opponent has said there was 8,000 votes taken from Trump to Biden because of the machines. But zero proof has been given. Was even called out by the election officials and media on this. He seemed to back down.

Outside of Kentucky’s election process, what is the biggest issue under this office’s domain that you’d like to address?

Seems to be many problems with the portal for other issues in the office. Have heard from hundreds of people from Western and Eastern and Central Kentucky that have had many issues with the system.  Can't get business license to even getting Notary of public license.

With the legislature help. Set up satellite offices in those areas or have my people go to many of these places for a few days to help with the process.

More: Kentucky Primaries 2023: What to know about registering to vote, absentee ballots and more

Reach reporter Joe Sonka at jsonka@courierjournal.com and follow him on Twitter at @joesonka.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky Primary Election voter guide: Secretary of state running