CHEYENNE, Wyo. — On December 7, 2023, the Office of the Secretary of State filed its Notice of Intent to amend Chapter 2 of its Election Procedures with the Wyoming Administrative Rules System to require acceptable identification for proof of identity and proof of residency when registering to vote in Wyoming.
“Strengthening our residency requirements has been a key priority of our administration,” Secretary of State Chuck Gray said via press release. “The proposed revisions are key to fulfilling our obligation of ensuring voters in Wyoming are bona fide residents of Wyoming, and the Wyoming county clerks have also testified before the Legislature on the need to add clarity to Wyoming’s voter registration procedures as they relate to proof of residency.”
Residents must provide proof of their identity when registering to vote under the state’s current regulations and Secretary Gray is proposing that proof of residency must be required as well when registering to vote in Wyoming.
On Tuesday, Dec. 16, the Equality State Policy Center (ESPC) submitted a letter stating concerns of the public opposing the new voter registration procedures. Any Wyoming residents and/or organizations can submit comments regarding the proposed policy change.
A public comment hearing on the proposed rules for election procedures is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 26, 2024 at 1 p.m. at the Capitol Extension Conference Center Auditorium, Cheyenne, WY 82002. The hearing will also provide clarity concerning providing evidence of citizenship when registering to vote.
Copies of the proposed rules may be obtained on the Wyoming Administrative Rules System: https://rules.wyo.gov by using the advanced search for proposed rules, or by contacting the Secretary of State’s Office, 122 W. 25th St, Ste. 100 in Cheyenne.
“Ensuring that those who register to vote in Wyoming must provide proof of residency is pivotal to election integrity and security for our great state,” Gray elaborated via press release. “It is also pivotal that we provide clarity and strength concerning requiring evidence of citizenship when registering to vote. I am thankful to the input provided by Wyoming’s county clerks, and look forward to continuing this collaborative process as we proceed through the rule-making process.”
Members of the public may attend virtually by registering via Zoom here. Public comments regarding the rules may also be submitted by email via the Rules System at http://rules.wyo.gov by using advanced search for proposed rules and the “Provide Public Comment” link, or by emailing comments directly to Joe.Rubino1@wyo.gov.
The last day of the public comment period is Friday, Jan. 26, 2024.
