BOSTON — The only debate in the secretary of state's race ended with the candidates branding each other "a liar" and "a faker," capping off a testy exchange in which the two men sparred over voter identification, electoral security, the way the incumbent runs his office, and his challenger's background.

Secretary Bill Galvin, a Brighton Democrat, went after Swampscott Republican Anthony Amore on WGBH's "Greater Boston" over Amore's voting record, speaking fees he'd accepted as an author, and his stance on voter ID requirements, which Galvin said came out of the "Republican playbook."

Amore, in turn, said Galvin had "no vision" for his office, relies on an antiquated security system and does not attend meetings of the historical commission that he chairs.

Galvin does not support requiring identification to vote, saying voter ID laws have been used in other states "to prevent people from voting."

"Republicans are into having fewer people vote," he said. "I'm into having more people vote."

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Amore said people need to feel confidence in their electoral systems and that he believes requiring ID would help with that. He backs a voter ID system that allows multiple forms of identification, including utility bills and college and work IDs along with driver's licenses and passports. He said voter ID is not just a Republican idea, noting former President Jimmy Carter, a Democrat, co-chaired a commission that recommended voter ID requirements.

"At the Democratic convention this summer, at your own convention, Democrats had to show ID to vote," Amore said.

A former Department of Homeland Security official who now works as security director at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Amore said he does not "at this point" support allowing voters to register on Election Day, a measure Galvin backs.

Pressed by moderator Jim Braude, Amore said he thinks same-day registration is "the future" but he is not convinced it can now be done securely.

Galvin said he believes same-day registration should be the law and that he has come up with a "very specific plan" to implement it, which would require "some degree of connectivity at local polling places" to move people through the system. He said establishing Election Day registration in Massachusetts would require the Legislature to both approve the idea and appropriate the money for it.

Asked about election security, Amore blasted Galvin's approach.

"The only reason you're saying it works is because nothing's happened yet," Amore said. "That is the worst approach to security imaginable. It is a tombstone approach waiting until something bad happens."

Galvin said his office is "constantly updating" the state's election system and spends "a lot of" state and federal money to check on and protect it.

"Our lists are secure. Our systems are not on the internet. We were not hacked when many states were," Galvin said.

Amore pressed Galvin over not having a strategic plan for his office, which Galvin called "bureaucratic babble" and Amore said "points to your inability to have a vision for your office."

In response to Amore's claim that he had "no plan to tell people what he intends to do," Galvin said one of his office's most important upcoming tasks will be conducting the 2020 Census count.

"Something which given your anti-immigrant position documented by your multiple tweets in support of Donald Trump's immigration plan, is going to make Massachusetts a very difficult place to count and probably cost us a congressional seat and a lot of local aid," Galvin said.

Amore said it was "dishonest" to say he supports Donald Trump. He said he does not support asking about citizenship on the census.

"To say I'm anti-immigrant is a lie," Amore said. He said, "I've done more for the immigrant population in this state than you ever have, believe me. I worked to help naturalize people. I brought refugees into this country."

Asked about the tweets in question after the debate, a Galvin campaign spokeswoman said they had been taken down. Galvin said he had copies with him at the debate.

Galvin knocked Amore over his voting record, saying his opponent missed two Senate elections and "numerous" local elections in the past, as well as missing meetings as an elected member Swampscott Town Meeting.

"Like chair of the Historical Commission," Amore countered, saying Galvin does not attend meetings of that body.

The back-and-forth heated up again towards the end of the half-hour debate.

Amore said Galvin gave historic rehabilitation tax credits, through his office, to people who had donated to his campaign. Galvin said his office "give[s] them to anybody who qualifies...including to many people who don't support me."

Galvin said he was "troubled" that Amore had accepted speaker's fees from "taxpayer-funded public libraries" where he discussed books he has written about art.

"You're really saying that it's wrong for a person to speak at a library and get an honorarium? Every author in Massachusetts right now is groaning," Amore said.

Galvin accused Amore of portraying himself as the person who "apprehended the shoe bomber," referring to Richard Reid, who attempted to detonate an explosive device on an airplane in 2001. "Collared, that's the word," Galvin said.

Galvin's campaign provided a 2008 Boston Herald piece that said Amore "ran the show when shoe bomber Richard Reid was collared in December 2001."

Amore said he had "never said" that he apprehended the shoe bomber.

"You're a liar," Galvin said.

"And you're a faker," Amore rejoined, before Braude wrapped up the broadcast.

Juan Sanchez, the Green-Rainbow candidate in the race, did not participate in the debate.

CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS

Through Oct. 15, Galvin has spent $1.75 on his re-election campaign. Amore has spent $25,000 and Sanchez has spent $1,399.

GALVIN DONORS

AMORE DONORS

SANCHEZ DONORS

CANDIDATE WEBSITES

GALVIN

AMORE

SANCHEZ

READ MORE CAMPAIGN COVERAGE

NATIONAL COVERAGE

Early voting begins Oct. 22 and ends Nov. 2.

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