With Kentucky’s general election less than a month away, Secretary of State candidates, Republican Incumbent Michael Adams and Democrat Buddy Wheatley debated on issues surrounding votership in the state on Thursday.
The debate was hosted by Louisville news station WLKY and sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Kentucky.
Adams is a Paducah native and has served as Secretary of State since 2020. Before his term Adams has served as a law clerk in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, Counsel to the U.S. Deputy Attorney General in the second Bush Administration and has a private election law practice.
Wheatley is a Covington native and served as a firefighter for the Covington Fire Department for 20 years and retired as the departments Fire Chief before starting a career in law. He later served as a representative as a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives for the 65th District from 2019 to 2023.
The candidates fielded questions surrounding votership in Kentucky with one them asking the pair if same day voting and registration should be permitted in the state. The pair disagreed one the matter.
Wheatley says same day registration will increase access to the polls and technology is available to make it happen.
On the other hand, Adams disagreed with Wheatley, saying that same day registration would increase the waiting lines at polling places and the workload for poll workers. Adams also claimed that Wheatley did not support same day registration during his time in the legislature.
However, the pair did somewhat agree on the establishment of a constitutional amendment restore the coting rights of convicted felons. Adams says there should be some exemptions for certain crimes, but for more severe crimes, offenders should have to petition the government to have their right restored.
Wheatley says he agree with Adams, and allowing former felons to vote will increase voter participation.
Both Wheatley and Adams will be on this year’s general election ballot for Secretary of State on November 7.