HB0144 • 2025

County canvassing board.

AN ACT relating to elections; specifying the membership of the county canvassing board; making conforming changes; 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 Neiman
Last action: 2025-03-04
Official status: inactive
Effective date: 3/1/2025

Plain English Breakdown

The bill did not pass and was not signed into law, so its provisions do not apply.

County Canvassing Board Act

The bill changes the composition of the county canvassing board and updates rules for election procedures.

What This Bill Does

Specifies that the county canvassing board consists of two electors from different political parties, appointed by the county clerk if needed.
Defines 'major political parties' based on registered voters in the county as of January 1st of the most recent general election year.
Requires that the two electors receive the same compensation as election judges and take an oath of office.

Who It Names or Affects

County canvassing board members
Election officials who run county elections

Terms To Know

Canvassing Board: A group responsible for counting votes in an election.
Major Political Parties: Political parties with the most registered voters in a county.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill did not pass and was not signed into law.
It is unclear how this change would affect counties without two major political parties.
The bill's rules only apply to elections run by the county clerk, not all special district elections.

Amendments

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

HB0144H2001

2nd reading • Representative Webb

Withdrawn

Plain English: The amendment adds a rule that members of the county canvassing board cannot be immediate family members of people who are currently running for office.

Adds a new requirement that members of the county canvassing board must not be immediate family members of current electoral candidates.

The amendment does not specify what 'immediate family' includes, such as parents, children, or siblings.

HB0144HS001

Standing Committee • House Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivis

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment adds a definition to determine which political parties are considered the largest major political parties in a county based on the number of registered voters.

Adds language after line 14 on page 2 to define how the largest major political parties in a county will be determined.

The amendment does not specify what actions or changes follow from identifying these largest major political parties, only how they are defined.

HB0144SS001

Standing Committee • Senate Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivi

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment changes how members of the county canvassing board are appointed, requiring the county clerk to appoint one member from a list of three nominees selected by another entity.

Removes the requirement for an elector and instead mandates that the county clerk appoints a member from a list of three nominees.
Changes 'select an elector' to 'nominate three qualified electors'.
Adds 'not' before 'shall select an elector', implying they should not do so under certain conditions.
Modifies the requirement for different political parties to the same political party.

The exact entity selecting the nominees is unclear from the provided text.

Bill History

2025-03-04 Senate
S 3rd Reading:Failed 14-17-0-0-0
2025-03-03 Senate
S 2nd Reading:Passed
2025-02-28 Senate
S COW:Passed
2025-02-25 Senate
S Placed on General File
2025-02-25 Senate
S07 - Corporations:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 4-1-0-0-0
2025-02-14 Senate
S Introduced and Referred to S07 - Corporations
2025-02-13 Senate
S Received for Introduction
2025-02-12 House
H 3rd Reading:Passed 59-1-2-0-0
2025-02-11 House
H 2nd Reading:Passed
2025-02-10 House
H COW:Passed
2025-02-06 House
H Placed on General File
2025-02-06 House
H07 - Corporations:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 8-1-0-0-0
2025-01-30 House
H Introduced and Referred to H07 - Corporations
2025-01-13 House
H Received for Introduction
2025-01-10 LSO
Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

25LSO-0429
2025
STATE OF WYOMING
25LSO-0429
ENGROSSED
3.0

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0144

County canvassing board.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Neiman, Bear, Guggenmos, Haroldson, Heiner, Kelly and Riggins and Senator(s) Brennan, Hicks and Pearson

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to elections; specifying the membership of the county canvassing board; making conforming changes; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1.

W.S. 22
‑
4
‑
101(d), 22
‑
16
‑
101 and 22
‑
29
‑
114(e)(intro) are amended to read:

22
‑
4
‑
101.

Application; composition, election and qualifications of county central committees; certificate of election.

(d)

No later than forty
‑
five (45) days after the date of the primary election, the county canvassing board
or a canvassing board appointed by the county clerk consisting of two (2) electors and the county clerk,
shall provide to each county chairman the certified election results for precinct committeemen and committeewomen and a list of persons who received write
‑
in votes for precinct committeemen or committeewomen.

22
‑
16
‑
101.

County canvassing board; compensation.

The county canvassing board is the county clerk and two (2) electors
of different political parties resident in
who are residents of
the county
,

appointed
with one (1) elector selected
by the county
clerk
central committee of each of the two (2) largest major political parties in the county. For purposes of this section, the largest major political parties shall be determined by the number of registered voters in the county on the first day of January in the most recent general election year. If there are not two (2) major political parties in the county, or if a county central committee fails to select an elector for the county canvassing board under this section, the county clerk may appoint any unfilled positions on the county canvassing board, provided that the two (2) electors shall be of different political parties
. The two (2) electors shall receive the same compensation as election judges. All canvassing board members shall take an oath of office.

22
‑
29
‑
114.

Election procedures for elections other than mail ballot elections; canvass, recount and contests.

(e)

Any special district election conducted by the county clerk shall be canvassed by the county canvassing board
.

or a canvassing board appointed by the county clerk, consisting of two (2) electors and the county clerk.
If more than one (1) county is involved, the election shall be canvassed in accordance with chapter 16 of the Wyoming Election Code of 1973, as amended, by a canvassing board drawn from the membership of the appropriate county canvassing boards appointed by the appropriate county commissioners. The commissioners shall notify the county clerks of the canvassing board appointments. Any special district election not conducted by a county clerk shall be canvassed by a special district canvassing board. The special district canvassing board shall consist of the district secretary and two (2) electors appointed by the district board. Any canvass shall be conducted in accordance with chapter 16 of the Wyoming Election Code of 1973, as amended. The canvass shall be conducted within seven (7) business days of the election. The canvassing board shall have the authority to call for a special election in accordance with W.S. 22
‑
16
‑
122. The canvassing board shall:

Section 2
.

This act is effective July 1, 2025
.

(END)

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HB0144