I read with great interest the recent Lawrence Journal-World editorial about the small number of voting issues in Kansas and the risky proposals for dealing with them that are being advanced by my opponent, Kris Kobach.

It’s not the first time that a newspaper has challenged Mr. Kobach’s paranoid view that voter fraud is rampant in Kansas. The Wichita Eagle recently wrote that “voter fraud is not a big problem in Kansas.”

Even Mr. Kobach’s party colleagues agree. Former Republican Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh’s office commented that voter fraud in Kansas is “very minimal.”

Their conclusions are not surprising when you consider the facts.

Between 1998 and 2008, only 11 of the state’s 105 counties notified the secretary of state’s office of possible voter fraud cases in their jurisdictions. There is no evidence to suggest that there were significantly more cases than were reported.

And yet, Mr. Kobach continues to assert that it’s a massive problem in Kansas. He is simply incorrect.

As the secretary of state, I’m responsible for administering all federal and state elections in Kansas. In addition, with more than 20 years of prosecutorial experience, I know how to identify problems. I’m one of the few people in the state who has actually prosecuted a rare case of voter fraud. I know the difference between simple voter error and voter fraud, a difference that seems to confuse Mr. Kobach.

We take this issue seriously in my office and I find it troubling when someone with little or no understanding of the issue makes inaccurate statements.

Even more troubling, though, is Mr. Kobach’s proposal to create a vast, new government bureaucracy that will create unnecessary headaches and hassles for honest, law-abiding voters in order to cure a problem that doesn’t exist.

For any common sense Kansan, this should be a matter of concern.

The last thing we need is more or bigger government agencies interfering with our civil liberties. We’ve always been smart about limiting the size and scope of our government and restricting its intrusion into our lives. Mr. Kobach’s proposed expansion would undermine our proud tradition of small government.

What’s more, his expansion of state government will come at taxpayers’ expense. Given the current state budget crisis, the cost of a massive, new government program will most likely be funded through increased taxes or fees.

Elections in Kansas will continue to be secure thanks to the tireless efforts of the county clerks, county election commissioners and election staff across the state, including the secretary of state’s office. Our mission is clear: We seek to be the least complicated, most accessible agency in state government.

All divisions in the secretary of state’s office work hard every day to improve the services we offer to Kansans through upgrades to the website, enhanced clarity on business forms, improved accessibility for business entities, regulation of cemetery trust funds, implementation of the military voting act and improved voter education.

Mr. Kobach’s inaccurate statements about voting issues in Kansas are the political equivalent of falsely yelling fire in a crowded theatre. It generates confusion and fear where none should exist. Worse, it causes the truth and sound public policy to get trampled in the process.

I believe that the citizens of Kansas deserve an honest and accurate discussion of the issues facing the secretary of state, not political grandstanding.

— Chris Biggs, who was appointed secretary of state by Gov. Mark Parkinson in March, is the Democratic candidate for the office.