SF0163 Election integrity-primary elections.

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on the consequences of attempting to change party affiliation during prohibited periods or exact dates for implementation since the bill did not pass.

Election Rules for Party Affiliation

This act requires voters to declare or change their political party affiliation before they can file to run in a primary election.

What This Bill Does

Requires voters to declare or change their political party affiliation prior to the first day on which primary election nomination applications may be filed.

Who It Names or Affects

Voters who want to change their party affiliation before primary elections

County clerks responsible for managing voter registration and election applications

Terms To Know

Primary Election

An election where voters choose candidates from each political party to run in the general election.

Party Affiliation

The political party a voter is officially registered with, such as Democrat or Republican.

Limits and Unknowns

This bill did not pass and was marked inactive by Wyoming's legislature.

It does not specify what happens if someone tries to change their party affiliation during the prohibited period.

The exact date when these rules would have taken effect is not clear since the bill did not become law.

Bill History

2023-02-07 Senate

S:Died in Committee Returned Bill Pursuant to SR 5-4

2023-02-06 Senate

S No report prior to CoW Cutoff

2023-02-02 Senate

S07 - Corporations:Do Pass Failed 2-3-0-0-0

2023-01-24 Senate

S Introduced and Referred to S07 - Corporations

2023-01-24 Senate

S Received for Introduction

2023-01-23 LSO

Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

23LSO-0272
2023
STATE OF WYOMING
23LSO-0272
Numbered
2.0

SENATE FILE NO. SF0163

Election integrity-primary elections.

Sponsored by: Senator(s) Biteman, Brennan, Dockstader, Hutchings, Salazar and Steinmetz and Representative(s) Jennings

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to elections; providing that an elector shall declare or change political party affiliation prior to the first day on which primary election nomination applications may be filed; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1
.

W.S. 22
‑
3
‑
115(a)(vi), 22
‑
5
‑
212 and 22
‑
5
‑
214 are amended to read:

22
‑
3
‑
115.

Grounds for cancellation of registration.

(a)

A registered elector's registration shall be cancelled for any one (1) of the following reasons:

(vi)

Upon written request of the elector
at any time except for the period for which party changes are prohibited as specified in W.S. 22
‑
5
‑
214
.

22
‑
5
‑
212.

When declaration of party affiliation required.

An elector requesting a major party ballot
must
shall
declare
his
or change
party affiliation
, or sign an application for change of affiliation

in accordance with W.S. 22
‑
5
‑
214
before
he may receive
receiving
a party ballot. An elector may vote only the nonpartisan ballot and if so, is not required to declare his party affiliation. Requesting a partisan primary election ballot constitutes a declaration of party affiliation. A change in declaration of party affiliation
shall be in accordance with the requirements of W.S. 22
‑
5
‑
214 and
shall be entered on the poll list by the election judge.

22
‑
5
‑
214.

Declaration or change in party affiliation.

(a)

For a primary election, an elector may declare or change party affiliation by completing an application signed before a notarial officer or election official and filing it with the county clerk prior to the first day on which an application for nomination may be filed under W.S. 22
‑
5
‑
209.

(b)

For a general election, a
n elector may
declare or
change
his
party affiliation by completing an application signed

before a notarial officer or election official, and filing it with the county clerk
after the primary election and
not less than fourteen (14) days before the
primary
general
election or at the polls on the day of the
primary or
general election, or when requesting an absentee ballot
for the general election
.

Section 2
.

This act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

(END)

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SF0163