
Wyoming Governor Allows Crossover Voting Bill To Become Law, But Won’t Sign It
Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon says he supports the basic idea behind a crossover voting bill passed by lawmakers during the 2023 session, but says he is concerned about what he calls "minor flaws."
So he says he will not sign House Bill 103, but will allow it to become law without his signature. The bill forces voters who want to affiliate with one of the major parties to register as Republicans or Democrats before the first day for candidates to file to run for office in May.
The primary election in Wyoming is held in mid-August. Critics of the legislation says it prevents voters from voting for the candidate of their choice, regardless of party affiliation. But supporters, mostly Republicans, argue that allowing voters to change their registration right up until the primary interferes with political party rights to pick their own candidates. The governor's office issued a statement on Thursday which included the following:
Governor Gordon had hoped to receive legislation that would strengthen the closed primary system because he believes Republicans should vote in Republican Primaries and Democrats should vote in Democratic primaries. He made this case in his State of the State Address in 2022.
Nearly three-quarters of Wyoming voters were registered Republicans for the 2022 elections. From this, Governor Gordon noted this perhaps makes the presumed changes more academic than real. “I urge voters to learn about these changes so that they may vote for their desired major party ballot in 2024, stated Governor Gordon.”
Governor Gordon also secured a commitment from the bill’s sponsor to clarify the bill’s ambiguity
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