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HB0321 • 2025

Election judge selection.

AN ACT relating to elections; amending provisions related to the appointment of election judges; and providing for an effective date.

Children Elections
Did Not Pass

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

Sponsor
Representative Lucas
Last action
2025-02-10
Official status
inactive
Effective date
3/1/2025

Plain English Breakdown

The bill did not pass, so there are no details on how it would have been implemented or its effects.

Election Judge Selection

The bill amends provisions related to the appointment of election judges and members of counting boards in Wyoming.

What This Bill Does

  • Amends W.S. 22-8-101(e) to give priority to lists provided by county chairmen of major and minor political parties when appointing new election officials if there are not enough nominees from local party leaders.
  • Allows the county clerk to use any qualified elector if no alternates are available to fill a vacancy for an election judge or member of counting boards.

Who It Names or Affects

  • County clerks who appoint election judges and members of counting boards.
  • Local political parties' county chairmen whose lists are prioritized for appointments.
  • Election judges and members of counting boards appointed under this act.

Terms To Know

election judge
A person who helps run an election at a polling place.
counting board
A group that counts votes after the polls close.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass and was not considered by the Committee of the Whole (COW).
  • It is unclear how this change will affect the fairness or efficiency of election processes.
  • There are no details on how the prioritization of party lists might impact the diversity of appointed officials.

Amendments

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

HB0321HS001

Standing Committee • House Minerals, Business and Economic Development

Filed

Plain English: The amendment allows county clerks to remove election judges who break their oath or do not follow the law.

  • Adds a new section that gives county clerks the power to remove election judges if they violate their oath or fail to comply with laws.
  • The amendment does not specify all possible reasons for removing an election judge, only mentioning violations of the oath and non-compliance with the law.

Bill History

  1. 2025-02-10 House

    H COW:H Did not consider for COW

  2. 2025-02-07 House

    H Placed on General File

  3. 2025-02-07 House

    H09 - Minerals:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 8-0-1-0-0

  4. 2025-02-03 House

    H Introduced and Referred to H09 - Minerals

  5. 2025-01-29 House

    H Received for Introduction

  6. 2025-01-28 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
25LSO-0797
2025
STATE OF WYOMING
25LSO-0797
Introduced
2.0

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0321

Election judge selection.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Lucas, Brady, Brown, G, Campbell, K, Guggenmos, Hoeft, Johnson, Smith, S, Webb and Webber

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to elections; amending provisions related to the appointment of election judges; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1
.

W.S. 22
‑
8
‑
101(e) and 22
‑
8
‑
112 are amended to read:

22
‑
8
‑
101.

Notice of election officials needed; county chairmen to submit list of names; municipal clerks list of names appointment.

(e)

If the list of nominees for judges of election and members of counting boards provided by the county chairman is insufficient, the county clerk shall consider the list submitted by the municipal clerks and may appoint any elector otherwise qualified to be a judge of election or a member of a counting board.
When appointing election judges, the lists provided by the county chairmen of the major and minor political parties pursuant to subsection (b) of this section shall be given priority over the list submitted by the municipal clerks.

22
‑
8
‑
112.

Filling vacancies.

(a)

Any vacancy occurring prior to an election day shall be filled by the county clerk from the list of alternates.
When filling a vacancy from the list of alternates, the registered electors appearing on the lists submitted by the county chairmen of the major and minor political parties pursuant to W.S. 22
‑
8
‑
101(b) shall be given priority.
If no alternates exist, any elector who is qualified may be appointed. Any expedient method of notice of appointment to the county clerk and to the appointee may be used. Vacancies may be filled temporarily or for the term.

(b)

If a judge is not present when polls open, or is unable to complete his duties, the vacancy shall be filled by a registered elector appointed by those judges present at the precinct polling place when the vacancy occurs and approved by the county clerk.

When filling a vacancy under this subsection, the lists of registered electors provided by the county chairmen of the major and minor political parties pursuant to W.S. 22
‑
8
‑
101(b) shall be given priority.
If a member of a counting board is not present when the polls close, or is unable to complete his duties, the vacancy shall be filled by a registered elector appointed by those members of the counting board who are present.

Section 2
.

This act is effective July 1, 2025
.

(END)

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HB0321