KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to Wyoming

SF0097 • 2024

Prohibition on distribution of unsolicited ballot forms.

AN ACT relating to elections; prohibiting a person from distributing unsolicited absentee ballot application forms to any qualified elector as specified; and providing for an effective date.

Elections
Inactive

Wyoming marks this bill as inactive, which usually means it is no longer moving in the current session.

Sponsor
Senator Hutchings
Last action
2024-03-05
Official status
inactive
Effective date
3/1/2024

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide information on specific exemptions or allowances beyond the prohibitions stated.

Ban on Unsolicited Ballot Forms

This act bans distributing unsolicited absentee ballot request forms to voters unless they ask for one.

What This Bill Does

  • Prohibits anyone except county clerks, the secretary of state, or their designees from sending unsolicited absentee ballot application forms by mail, email, or other means.
  • Requires that any form sent must claim to be an official election document and not look like it is deceivingly similar to one.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Qualified electors (voters) in Wyoming
  • County clerks, the secretary of state, or their designees who can distribute absentee ballot forms

Terms To Know

qualified elector
A person who is eligible to vote in an election.
absentee ballot request form
A document used by voters to apply for a ballot that can be completed and returned without going to a polling place on Election Day.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill is marked as inactive, meaning it will not move forward in the current session.
  • It does not specify penalties for breaking this rule.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

SF0097SS001

Standing Committee • Senate Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivi

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment changes the language of a bill to prohibit distributing unsolicited absentee ballot application forms that claim to be or are deceptively similar to official election documents.

  • Adds new wording after 'form' to specify that the form must not falsely represent itself as an official election document or look very much like one.
  • The amendment does not provide further details on what constitutes a 'deceptively similar' form, leaving some ambiguity about enforcement criteria.

Bill History

  1. 2024-03-05 House

    H:Died in Committee Returned Bill Pursuant to HR 5-4

  2. 2024-03-05 House

    H No report prior to CoW Cutoff

  3. 2024-02-29 House

    H Introduced and Referred to H09 - Minerals

  4. 2024-02-28 House

    H Received for Introduction

  5. 2024-02-27 Senate

    S 3rd Reading:Passed 31-0-0-0-0

  6. 2024-02-26 Senate

    S 2nd Reading:Passed

  7. 2024-02-23 Senate

    S COW:Passed

  8. 2024-02-21 Senate

    S Placed on General File

  9. 2024-02-21 Senate

    S07 - Corporations:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 3-1-1-0-0

  10. 2024-02-14 Senate

    S Introduced and Referred to S07 - Corporations 29-2-0-0-0

  11. 2024-02-13 Senate

    S Received for Introduction

  12. 2024-02-12 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
24LSO-0171
2024
STATE OF WYOMING
24LSO-0171
ENGROSSED
3.0

SENATE FILE NO. SF0097

Prohibition on distribution of unsolicited ballot forms.

Sponsored by: Senator(s) Hutchings, Biteman, Boner, French and Laursen, D and Representative(s) Haroldson, Harshman, Knapp, Olsen, Ottman, Singh, Smith and Strock

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to elections; prohibiting a person from distributing unsolicited absentee ballot application forms to any qualified elector as specified; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1
.

W.S. 22
‑
9
‑
104 by creating a new subsection (e) is amended to read:

22
‑
9
‑
104.

How to apply; information required.

(e)

No person, except a county clerk, the secretary of state or their designees, shall distribute an absentee ballot request form that claims to be or is deceptively similar to an official election document by mail, email or any other means to any qualified elector unless that qualified elector specifically solicits an absentee ballot form.

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)

1
SF0097