Bill Aimed At Crossover Voting Proposed In Wyoming Legislature
A bill that would aim to discourage crossover voting in Wyoming primary elections is has been filed for the 2019 legislative session.
Senate File 32 is sponsored by Republican Senator Bo Biteman of Ranchester. It would stop voters from changing parties less than 10 weeks before a primary election. Voters who decided to change their party registration would have to fill out a form in front of an election official or a notary.
Many Wyoming conservatives were outraged during the 2018 Republican primary by a phone campaign that urged Democrats to vote for Mark Gordon in the August 21Republican primary as opposed to conservative activist Foster Friess.
While it's not known how many Democrats actually crossed over to vote for Gordon, some Friess supporters claimed it may have been a large enough number to change the outcome of the election.
Opponents of the bill argue people should be free to vote for whomever they wish in a primary election, regardless of party labels. Supporters say allowing people from other parties to cast ballots in a primary election corrupts the nominating process by choosing candidates who may not accurately reflect the views of most members of the party.