Wyoming House Advances Protections To Stop Noncitizen Voting
The Wyoming House of Representatives has passed two significant bills aimed at strengthening election integrity by preventing noncitizens from voting. The first, HB 156, requires that qualified voters have resided in Wyoming for at least 30 days before an election and prohibits registration if presented identification suggests non-citizenship without proof of citizenship. The second bill, HB 157, mandates proof of citizenship for voter registration, specifying acceptable forms of documentation.Both measures received overwhelming support in the House and are now headed to the state Senate for consideration. Secretary of State Chuck Gray emphasized that these bills are a top priority for ensuring election integrity in Wyoming, and their passage is part of a broader agenda to enhance electoral security. While Republicans control the state government,efforts to pass such legislation have faced challenges due to resistance from some establishment members.
The Wyoming House of Representatives passed legislation on Monday aimed at preventing noncitizens from voting in elections.
“I want to commend the House’s passage of these bills, which have been priority number one of our election integrity agenda,” Secretary of State Chuck Gray said in a statement. “I look forward to continuing to work with the Legislature to achieve meaningful, conservative reform.”
HB 156 stipulates that “qualified elector[s]” must have “been a bona fide resident of Wyoming for not less than thirty (30) days before the date of the election at which he offers to vote.” The bill also specifies that county clerks “shall not” register an individual to vote “if the person’s presented identification or proof of residence contains any indication that the person is not a citizen of the United States unless the person also presents proof of citizenship as specified by rule of the secretary of state.”
The measure cleared the lower chamber in a 51-8-3 vote, with three lawmakers excused.
Meanwhile, HB 157 mandates that individuals must present proof of citizenship when registering to vote in the state. The measure includes specific examples of acceptable documentation, such as a valid Wyoming driver’s license and Wyoming ID card, “provided that [they do] not contain any indication that the person is not a United States citizen.”
HB 157 similarly passed with overwhelming support (53-6-3). Both measures now head to the state Senate for consideration.
Enhancing protections against noncitizen voting was one of several legislative priorities put forward by Gray ahead of the Cowboy State’s 2025 session designed to increase the integrity of Wyoming elections. The GOP secretary of state told The Federalist earlier this month that implementation of such safeguards into law would make Wyoming the “only state in the union that has proof of citizenship for all races.”
According to the local outlet WyoFile, “A Campbell County resident registered as a Republican and voted in the 2020 election,” and was subsequently “charged by the federal government with passport fraud.” A federal official, the outlet reported, “informed state authorities in August 2023 that the man, a Mexican national, had obtained a false Wyoming driver’s license and registered to vote.”
Wyoming clerks reported “a combined five non-citizens who had tried to vote in 2024’s general election” but were “turned away,” according to WyoFile.
While Republicans hold trifecta control of state government, passing election integrity bills has proven difficult in recent years, in large part due to opposition from the GOP establishment. For example, a bill prohibiting private election funding, such as “Zuckbucks,” was killed in committee last year in an apparent act of retaliation against the Wyoming Freedom Caucus, whose members voted down several establishment-backed bills introduced earlier in the session.
The petty maneuver prevented Wyoming from joining the growing list of states (28) that have successfully banned or restricted private election funding. The Wyoming Freedom Caucus now holds a majority in the state House following the 2024 elections.
A bill (HB0228) prohibiting “private funds for conducting elections” has been introduced in the Wyoming House this session but has yet to receive a vote.
For more election news and updates, visit electionbriefing.com.
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