WYOMING — On Friday, March 21, Governor Gordon allowed House Enrolled Act 57/House Bill 156 – Proof of voter residency-registration qualifications to go into law without his signature.
According to a press release from Governor Gordon’s office, Governor Gordon wrote a letter to Secretary of State Chuck Gray reiterating his confidence in how elections are conducted in Wyoming and believes only citizens who are residents of Wyoming should vote. The lack of his signature stems from his questioning of the “arbitrary” nature and the legality of the Act’s 30-day residency requirement.
“Whether the federal or state statute will prevail in a legal contest is likely a question that will have to be resolved in court,” Governor Gordon writes.
The Governor also notes the Act’s “any indication” standard for rejection of voter registration might present challenges for clerks to administer with any degree of certainty. According to the press release, Governor Gordon wonders whether the changes made through this Act are an improvement over the existing “provisional ballot” process, where a questionable ballot is not counted until fully vetted and verified.
“Because it is laudable to continuously improve our standards for identification, I am thrilled that this legislation now gives the Secretary of State the authority he was trying to usurp by passing rules he had no authority to pass last spring,” Governor Gordon writes. “The will of the Legislature is finally clear on this point. Let us remember, though, it is ultimately essential and core to the workings of both our Wyoming and U.S. Constitutions that a bona fide citizen be able to vote without undue difficulty, and that right should not be abridged or diminished as a result of measures taken to conduct an election.”
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