Louisville Courier Journal Endorses Alison Lundergan Grimes for Secretary Of State.

Editorial | Endorsements 2011: Alison Grimes for secretary of state

This is another in a series of endorsements in races for Kentucky statewide offices contested in the Nov. 8 general election.

Secretary of state isn’t the most important office on the Kentucky ballot Nov. 8, but it offers voters what should be their easiest choice.

Alison Lundergan Grimes, the Democratic nominee, simply towers above her Republican opponent, Bill Johnson. She deserves to be elected by a large margin.

Mr. Johnson, a Todd County resident who entered and then dropped out of the U.S. Senate race last year, seems intent on taking what is essentially a service-provider position with few partisan angles and turning it into an ideological focal point. The mechanism for this deplorable tactic is to adopt the national right-wing theme that voter fraud, or the potential for voter fraud, is a dire threat to American democracy that requires strengthening voter ID laws to keep unregistered or non-qualified voters from the ballot box.

At best, this is a solution in search of a problem. There is simply zero evidence that voter fraud is a widespread or common occurrence. At worst, it reflects the radical right’s fear of changing demographics in the country and underscores its determination to obstruct voting by minorities, the poor and the elderly.

Ms. Grimes, an attorney in one of Lexington’s most prominent law firms, understands that the job of the secretary of state is to facilitate voting and to help elections run smoothly and fairly, not to throw up needless barriers. Moreover, she understands that Kentucky should ease restrictions that prevent voting by felons who have served their sentences. Mr. Johnson thunders that some felons can never repay their debt to society. True, but in such cases, they should have been given life sentences. Otherwise, the American judicial system, in fact, does allow some felons to complete their sentences and be released from prison, and they should be allowed to express their political views with a ballot as they rejoin civic life.

Further related to the key issue of election responsibilities, Ms. Grimes offers insights into helping disabled veterans vote, protecting domestic violence victims when they go to the polls and teaching young people about voting.

Ms. Grimes also stresses making the secretary of state’s office more business-friendly. The office handles much of the licensing and other paperwork for existing and potential new employers.

Finally, Mr. Johnson displays a worrisome temperament. During an endorsement interview with this newspaper’s editorial board, for example, he had a tendency to launch into loud, combative and irrelevant harangues. He appeared angry and unfocused.

Voters should cross party lines, where necessary, and elect Ms. Grimes.