Scott E. Morgan is running for Kansas secretary of state as the United Kansas Party nominee in the Nov. 3 general election. He faces Jennifer Day, a Democrat, and Pat Proctor, a Republican.

Asked why he is running, Morgan said in our questionnaire, "The Secretary of State should be a neutral referee, not another political player. Elections are too important to be administered through a partisan lens." He added, "I am not a Republican or a Democrat. I believe that independence would allow me to approach the office without a partisan stake in the outcome and concentrate on doing the job professionally."

Candidate information

Party: Morgan said in our questionnaire, "I am neither a Republican nor a Democrat. United Kansas is a new moderate political party that believes Kansas needs a political home for voters who favor pragmatic, principled leadership."

Education: Morgan said in our questionnaire, "I graduated from Shawnee Mission public schools and earned both of my degrees from the University of Kansas: a B.S. in Journalism and a J.D. from the KU School of Law."

Family: Morgan said in our questionnaire, "My wife, Kathleen O'Leary Morgan, and I have been married for more than 40 years. We live in Lawrence and have three adult children, Kelly, Calvin and Grace. … I am a fifth-generation Kansan. My family first settled in Jefferson County in 1856."

Experience and public service

Morgan said in our questionnaire, "I worked for U.S. Senators Nancy Kassebaum and Bob Dole, including service as the U.S. Senate's representative to the Federal Election Commission and as chief counsel to Senator Dole's 1988 presidential campaign. I later served as Chief Counsel for Governor Mike Hayden, who has endorsed me for this office."

He also said, "My wife Kathleen and I co-founded a small Lawrence publishing company. We operated the company for 17 years before selling it to CQ Press."

Asked about previous public office, Morgan said in our questionnaire, "I served two terms on the Lawrence Board of Education and was twice elected board president."

Asked what accomplishments show he can handle the job, Morgan said in our questionnaire, "I have spent much of my career working where law, government, elections, business and public service all meet." He said his school board experience "taught me something important about public office: governing requires listening, preparation, judgment and the ability to work with people who do not always agree with you."

On the issues

Mail ballots and advance voting: Morgan said in our questionnaire, "I support restoring the three-day grace period for mail ballots postmarked by Election Day. … A ballot legally cast on time should not be rejected because postal delivery took an extra day or two." He added, "I strongly support advance voting, both in person and by mail."

Voter data and federal requests: Morgan said in our questionnaire, "Personally identifiable voter information should not be handed over simply because the federal government asks for it. I would share information when federal law clearly requires it, but sensitive information such as Social Security and driver's license numbers deserves strong legal and privacy protections."

Election security: Morgan said in our questionnaire, "I believe Kansas elections in recent years have been fundamentally accurate and secure. That does not mean we stop improving them." He said he would "strengthen those safeguards, provide county election officials with the technical and financial support they need, and continue improving cybersecurity and physical security."