HB0199 • 2024

Election ballots.

AN ACT relating to elections; providing for the counting of absentee ballots received after the date of the election as specified; modifying the time county canvassing boards shall meet; and providing for an effective date.

Elections

Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor: Representative Zwonitzer, Dn
Last action: 2024-02-16
Official status: inactive
Effective date: 3/1/2024

Plain English Breakdown

The bill did not pass, so there are no further details available on how it would have been implemented.

Counting Late Absentee Ballots and County Canvassing Board Meetings

The bill changes the rules for counting absentee ballots received after election day and modifies when county canvassing boards must meet.

What This Bill Does

Allows absentee ballots that are postmarked on or before election day but received by the clerk after polls close to be counted if they arrive before the county canvassing board meets.
Requires the county canvassing board to meet no later than the first Friday following an election, unless provisional ballots need more time for eligibility verification.
Specifies that absentee ballots arriving after the county canvassing board has met will not be counted and must be marked as rejected by the clerk.

Who It Names or Affects

Voters who submit absentee ballots
County clerks responsible for handling absentee ballots
County canvassing boards

Terms To Know

Absentee ballot: A vote cast by mail or other means before election day, usually due to the voter's inability to be present at a polling place.
County canvassing board: A group responsible for counting and verifying votes in an election.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill did not pass, so it has no legal effect.
Details on how county commissioners will handle late absentee ballots are left to local procedures.
The effective date specified in the bill text is July 1, 2024, but since the bill did not pass, this date is irrelevant.

Bill History

2024-02-16 House
H Did not Consider for Introduction
2024-02-14 House
H Received for Introduction
2024-02-13 LSO
Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

24LSO-0588
2024
STATE OF WYOMING
24LSO-0588
Numbered
2.0

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0199

Election ballots.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Zwonitzer, Dn and Ottman and Senator(s) Landen

A BILL

for

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

Section 1.

W.S. 22
‑
9
‑
118, 22
‑
9
‑
119 and 22
‑
16
‑
103(c)(i) are amended to read:

22
‑
9
‑
118.

Delivery of absentee ballots and duplicate list to precincts.

The clerk shall oversee the delivery of the sealed envelope containing absentee ballots and the duplicate list of absent electors to each precinct polling place before the polls are opened. Absentee ballots returned to the county clerk
not later than 7:00 p.m. on election day
shall be counted
in accordance with W.S. 22
‑
9
‑
119
.

22
‑
9
‑
119.

Late absentee ballots.

(a)

An absentee ballot
postmarked on or before the election day and
received by the clerk after the polls close
but prior to the convening of the meeting of the county canvassing board
shall
not
be voted.
The board of county commissioners shall adopt procedures for the handling, delivery and examination of absentee ballots received in accordance with this subsection.

(b)

An absentee ballot received by the clerk after the meeting of the county canvassing board shall not be voted.
The clerk shall write on the inner envelope of such late absentee ballot "Rejected
‑
received after the
polls closed
meeting of the county canvassing board
". These late ballots shall be kept by the clerk for at least two (2) years after the election or longer if required by federal law and then destroyed.

22
‑
16
‑
103.

County canvass procedures.

(c)

The county canvassing board shall:

(i)

Meet
as soon as all returns have been received and abstracted, but if any provisional ballots have been cast in the county, not before the time has passed for provisional voters to document their eligibility to register or to vote.

The board shall meet
at a time and place designated by the county clerk
, but no later than

on
the first Friday following the election;

Section 2
.

This act is effective July 1, 2024
.

(END)

1
HB0199