[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6063693,"mediaKeyId","3264743-887e17957c36dd55cbe328fec57aad62","parentId",3264743,"title","Secretary of State briefs committee on 2025 election‑law changes and presidential executive order on election integrity","audioSeconds",2018,"startMs",7466000,"endMs",9484000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3264743-887e17957c36dd55cbe328fec57aad62&start=7466&end=9484","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3264743-887e17957c36dd55cbe328fec57aad62/thumbnail_7466000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6063693/Wyoming/Secretary-of-State-briefs-committee-on-2025-electionlaw-changes-and-presidential-executive-order-on-election-integrity","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6063693-7fd6e1df2ff1b7cdc213f04c1820d00b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771153215&Signature=K6RSTZy9sw6d4dwU0jh-zp4eR~9BtrpsbPlPxhWKnKCs2uIp1JHeJ2Fe2fTGELupiU8y6ph2KdHyTBTraMmMcraSw1os0x4ScNQ60ze5LAQwNXgWeBgy5rzAje~938Aex2k54xF2aVL0eMrmnQLUvXwRXtqAmVDzeRYtHmLmW7dYCDfpn88EHh0y2F7CSHg4JyOhZjUF49FXrTUEyBxwFeRAvQkmsThyqkwNR6k2NBKk9a1OecA3RzfaKTQz4Z8Hhb3341-wN7czGVYPO6g0387U9r4nULZQGLZYwA5Ys~qINoUopycG16Ff3jzN~pMLkgsN2ARQ~PEGN5YGKOlGjg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Wyoming Legislature","date","2025-05-09T06:40:54Z","article","The Wyoming Secretary of State’s office briefed the Joint Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivisions Committee on May 8 about implementing key 2025 election laws and on President Donald J. Trump’s March 25, 2025, executive order addressing election integrity.

The secretary’s presentation summarized implementation work on multiple measures enacted in the 2025 session, including the law requiring documentation to prove U.S. citizenship and state residency to register (House Bill 156/HEA 157), a prohibition on foreign funding of statewide ballot measures (House Bill 337/HEA 61), a ban on private funding for conducting elections (House Bill 228/HEA 65), a prohibition on ranked‑choice voting (HEA 71), updates to voter‑list maintenance procedures that enable the state to use Department of Transportation data (House Bill 318/HEA 62), and a restriction on unsolicited mailings of absentee ballot request forms (Senate File 78/SEA 10).

On the citizenship and residency law, the secretary said Wyoming’s statutory framework and its exemption from the federal National Voter Registration Act permit the state to require proof of citizenship for all races on state registration forms. The office has promulgated rules to specify acceptable proof of residency and will continue to publish guidance on implementation. The office is also updating the state’s campaign‑finance system (YCIFS) to support HEA 61’s new certifications and reporting requirements for organizations that back or oppose statewide initiatives; the new reporting regime requires an affirmative certification that the group did not receive or use funds from prohibited foreign sources and retention of relevant records for enforcement.

The secretary reviewed the content of President Trump’s executive order and its practical implications. The order directs the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to amend the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG) and recommends standards that would discourage using barcodes or QR codes as the primary ballot‑counting mechanism except where necessary to accommodate voters with disabilities; the order also calls for federal agencies to work with states on voter‑list maintenance data sharing and directs executive‑branch attorneys to pursue election crimes. The secretary said the administration’s priorities on barcode use and vendor escrow of source code align with concerns the committee has discussed.

The office described a statewide enforcement and oversight role that includes ensuring vendors seeking certification provide escrowed source code and that county clerks comply with state rules on testing and audits. The secretary also recounted the office’s involvement in the Weston County post‑election review: the secretary’s office said it received results late on election night that suggested an unusually high undervote and subsequently worked with the county and vendor to review ballots and the cast‑vote record; the county canvass and a hand‑examination later confirmed misalignments on ballot designs that produced incorrect tallies in some contests.

Why this matters: the laws passed in 2025 and the executive order direct technical, reporting and oversight changes that the Secretary of State plans to implement over the interim. Committee members asked about technical specifics—how vendor USBs are handled; whether files are hashed; certification processes for vendors and software updates—and the secretary offered to supply more detailed written follow‑up and to coordinate with clerks and vendors.

The office said it will continue rulemaking where authorized, update state systems (YCIFS and the voter registration system) to reflect new reporting and documentation duties, and work with county clerks and vendors on implementing the EAC guidelines if and when they change. The secretary told the committee he will forward formal written responses to technical questions and coordinate an interagency approach to voter‑list maintenance and vendor oversight.

Sources: Secretary of State’s presentation to the Joint Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivisions Committee, May 8, 2025; referenced statutes and enacted bills.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Joint Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivisions Committee, May 8, 2025-AM","oneSentenceSummary","The Wyoming Secretary of State’s office briefed the Joint Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivisions Committee on May 8 about implementing 2025 election laws and on President Trump’s March 25, 2025, executive order addressing election integrity.","taxTitle","Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivisions, Joint & Standing, Committees, Legislative, Wyoming","taxId",21022,"location","Wyoming","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6063694,"Wyoming county clerks demonstrate logic-and-accuracy testing, chain-of-custody and post-election audits",6351,243000,6594000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3264743-887e17957c36dd55cbe328fec57aad62&start=243&end=6594","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3264743-887e17957c36dd55cbe328fec57aad62/thumbnail_243000.jpg","/articles/6063694/Wyoming/Wyoming-county-clerks-demonstrate-logic-and-accuracy-testing-chain-of-custody-and-post-election-audits","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6063694-b06fabb4978fc0f48e98961b224b286b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771153215&Signature=lT1MqpwrjW5QqI8Nkeo7WwaScw~bgpK1INyAHz7d20N-FVsBPUwWqNcKNaRs0Ur06~9pB-CeT7GbkB6bawZN-D-RAl09bayyK2uJqM~O3Z8cfNpA9Lb1wqcl8lhxTlg2V6XGqXEROfxEcLv-112iQK7h9EfTtxLdztt97JER8pIz0dzAiYkCff5cEiJrO4V2r5I~-LfDAKKvhOXDaeyvjqRfm~yxeWxe3BGhLqEUCPYJ1kQhDrZcL1h6HcCtkek0kVzGiDVs-0NYoFrr429r6ft9SBZ~cV5umdxSyCxc2-ABAOJiE62Entg9nRPmWuVeH87t0H2J1FnFzXkc4vdWwQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County clerks from multiple Wyoming counties gave the Joint Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivisions Committee a step-by-step demonstration on May 8 of how they test voting systems, move equipment to polling places and perform post-election audits.

Clerks said the demonstrations are intended to inform legislators considering interim election topics, not to advocate for specific machines or statutory language. \"We have no intention of swaying your opinions about electronic voting systems or to sell you on anything,\" said Malcolm Irvin, Platte County clerk, at the start of the presentation.

The demonstration focused on three core areas: pre‑election logic-and-accuracy (L&A) testing, chain-of-custody and sealing procedures for equipment, and post‑election audits. Julie Friess, Fremont County clerk, said L&A tests use actual election data and sample ballots to verify three objectives: \"verify that election specific data and ballots include every contest, candidate, and precinct; ensure all components of the voting system are functional; [and] verify the voting system can interpret voter markings and record and report vote totals accurately.\" Friess ran legislators through a small public test of equipment programmed for a Baldwin Creek Elementary school election, showing how ballots are cast, how the tabulator rejects double-feeds and how the public zero tape is generated and signed.

Clerks described specific safeguards and timelines they use: sample ballots are proofed before printing; ballots for overseas military voters are mailed 45 days before election day and other absentee ballots 28 days before; L&A tests occur in a public demonstration after internal checks; machines and test ballots are sealed and stored until a post-election audit within 30 days after the county canvass. Friess said Fremont County’s general‑election test deck in 2024 was 1,185 ballots and that the smaller school demo used 23 ballots. She described battery backups that are rated for roughly six hours, auxiliary bins for emergency paper ballot deposits and procedures to replace a tabulator that fails on election day.

Clerks emphasized handling of the removable media used to compile results. Friess described two kinds of USB sticks: encrypted, vendor‑provided sticks that she said are “the only USBs made in United States” for that vendor and are treated as single‑use in her county; and off‑the‑shelf sanitized sticks that some counties temporarily use to move reports from a hardened, offline results computer to an internet‑connected office computer to transmit to the secretary of state. \"That USB can never come back,\" Friess said of the report stick used to send results to the state.

On audits, clerks described a layered approach. County staff run internal L&A tests and public demonstrations before the election, then a post‑election audit of a sample of ballots after the county canvass; state rules and clerks’ association guidance also require a 5% machine audit within 30 days of the canvass in some counties. Margie Irvine, Fremont County chief deputy, and Sarah McQuain, election deputy, demonstrated a post‑election review of scanned ballot images and the cast‑vote record (CVR) on a hardened, offline system; clerks explained they do not show handwritten write‑ins to the general public during audits to protect voter privacy in small precincts.

Committee members asked about technical details that clerks do not control—such as vendor encryption, USB procurement and whether report files are hashed. Clerks said some technical questions require follow‑up and offered to supply written answers. They also noted county‑to‑county differences in procedures: \"Because there are differences in voting in counties, I might be doing something a little bit different than maybe what you've seen in other counties,\" Friess said while encouraging the committee to consider uniform testing practices.

Why this matters: clerks said the processes are intended to make votes auditable and protect ballots and chain of custody, while several legislators and public commenters pressed for statutory changes on audits, hand counts and vendor transparency. Clerks requested more time in the interim to bring specific language or suggestions to the committee.

The committee agreed to collect written follow‑up questions from members; clerks prepared a form for legislators to record technical questions that county offices will answer over the interim. A formal vote this morning adopted the committee’s interim rules by motion of Senator Dockstader, seconded by Senator Landon.

Clarifying details from the demonstration included: public L&A for the demo used 23 ballots; Fremont County reported a 1,185‑ballot test deck in its 2024 general election; military/overseas ballots go out 45 days before an election and other absentee ballots 28 days before. County clerks said they use a combination of vendor‑provided encrypted USBs (treated as single‑use in some counties) and off‑the‑shelf sanitized sticks to move files from an offline results system to an internet‑connected office computer for secure transmission.

Committee staff will collect the written questions clerks requested and clerks said they will follow up in writing. Clerks also asked the session to consider interim work on four topics they previously filed with the committee: testing and auditing procedures, voter list maintenance, physical election security and absentee ballot security.

Sources: county clerks’ demonstration and Q&A before the Joint Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivisions Committee on May 8, 2025.","County clerks from across Wyoming gave a daylong demonstration of how they run logic-and-accuracy tests, seal equipment, handle USBs and perform post-election audits, saying the procedures are designed to protect ballots and voter privacy while acknowledging room for statutory and procedural improvements.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6063687,"Voter‑access groups at committee: focus on turnout, not more restrictions",2241,11384000,13625000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3264743-887e17957c36dd55cbe328fec57aad62&start=11384&end=13625","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3264743-887e17957c36dd55cbe328fec57aad62/thumbnail_11384000.jpg","/articles/6063687/Wyoming/Voteraccess-groups-at-committee-focus-on-turnout-not-more-restrictions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6063687-c99c5bb46e4eb4c8d4f027bc6e49caf7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771153215&Signature=fNAwLhGNINiMq8uhgUxZJpAZzA-W2V~mru-PR~9ZhkV9ZLwFKXK29kCHs9VWgpNWzjqilP2hGLs1ZqVUOdAeINRZ7ICe-o-3b2Dg59Ar6TtyUde6UpLCeVpSRnCETrFX8XBvxpv8QDSF1-9FHfGTGWa5YRni5rO11~P7w-tpxkh9BTrN-3j-LKfGmRMUyeDDSxWKYq1yOQqmH2I5oYraVu9FarMXlMPVlV~uAAnsaSp672xSh78cr-0KqBPEH4t0FNGxsn4jmBUkEROKOt-gdzkNartXYl9Uyb87v176EwZiojomjhb01ydaHHCliux3WvhGp0FKvmiHNfI1-eeYmg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Multiple public commenters addressed the committee on May 8, urging attention to voter access and turnout and expressing a range of views on security and hand counts.

Phyllis Roseberry, a former poll worker, told the panel she “bow[s] down to our county clerks” and said Wyoming’s larger problem is low turnout, noting 27% participation in the most recent primary. \"Our energy is in the wrong place,\" she said, asking lawmakers to prioritize measures that help eligible voters register and vote.

Members of the Equality State Policy Center and the League of Women Voters emphasized voter education and services. Linda Barton, newly elected state president of the League of Women Voters of Wyoming and chair of the Fremont County chapter, said turnout for primaries is “not good” and pointed to low participation by voters aged 18–35; the League urged easier registration and improved voter services.

Several other commenters pushed the committee in the opposite direction, saying recent irregularities show a need for more transparency, stronger audits and, in some cases, hand counting. Representative Brady (speaking as a public commenter) said he had participated in mock and hand counts that produced \"100% accuracy\" and urged the committee to authorize hand counts or audits that can verify machine results. Technologist Pete Kapp, calling in remotely, pointed to the offline computer that aggregates USB reports as a potential vulnerability and urged legislative attention to software and media handling.

Why this matters: public comment reflected a split in priorities—some speakers urged the committee to focus on reducing barriers to voting and boosting turnout; others urged statutory authority for broader audits and hand counts to detect and correct tabulation errors. Committee members heard both lines of input as they weigh interim work on auditing, testing, and voter‑list maintenance.

Sources: public comment period, Joint Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivisions Committee, May 8, 2025.","Several public commenters told the committee that Wyoming’s election focus should prioritize increasing turnout and access rather than adding restrictions; some urged preserving drop boxes and expanding voter outreach while others echoed calls for hand counts and stronger audits after 2024 irregularities.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6063690,"Weston County post‑election review prompts calls for clearer audit and hand‑count rules",0,7677000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3264743-887e17957c36dd55cbe328fec57aad62&start=7677&end=7677","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3264743-887e17957c36dd55cbe328fec57aad62/thumbnail_7677000.jpg","/articles/6063690/Wyoming/Weston-County-postelection-review-prompts-calls-for-clearer-audit-and-handcount-rules","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6063690-c9214cd4ead8c2bb5e2ca788172ff0f8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771153215&Signature=ANAJTGKekJJM0Aiv6U0UqiQmCy1aRI6kgSknXGDXIBjTWeHF4xXDOY7C7RXrHomzt~hb9OI5gh2zZw0DokBhA7J6at7nbpppBpgXbSaDGdKUU5I48o6ivhpjqgC57yVUiheiSE4-hyWJfWPSEBjAKmvygwEtVvolUR6c~s7g4Bw59stoxOIv8A2zPyy-UfQOdgYQhDEjjpAUPWkUIuRIbMtFLgtox8o-94biU3G4kQs8-YrbQ0cHZzvr4uw4Q6DZTarn0uvDyU7JjnLwNowT2SAm4i3q~pcPsWQQWyn0QPLvW8CHX0jHE5oP8NjhiUGATRiRUMJHfA9TResPsBZNDg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The secretary’s office and county clerks described developments tied to a contested set of results in Weston County, and the episode drew renewed calls from legislators and the public for clearer auditing rules and statutory authority to conduct hand counts in specified circumstances.

The Secretary of State told the committee that the office received results on election night that did not appear credible—an unusually high undervote in a race with an unopposed candidate—and that attempts to reach the county clerk that night were difficult. The office and county officials then coordinated a review the next day; the secretary said a former draft ballot had been used in some locations, creating a ballot alignment error that produced incorrect tallies in at least two contests. A subsequent hand examination by the county canvassing board confirmed misalignments in the cast‑vote records.

\"We had a thesis on that first call as to what had occurred,\" the secretary said. He told the committee the county initially reported no audit findings, but later submitted an amended post‑election audit after the hand examination. The secretary said he has forwarded his findings to the governor and has referred complaints received to appropriate prosecutorial officials for review.

Several legislators and public commenters pressed for explicit statutory authority and procedures to require hand recounts or expanded audits when machine results and audits conflict. \"When we look forward to possible hand recounts for audits...we need to have...adjudication statutes,\" said Julie Friess, Fremont County clerk, urging the committee to consider rules for adjudicating ambiguous ballots and when a hand count is required. Representative Johnson and others asked whether a machine‑based recount or a hand count should be the default when a dispute arises; clerks explained Montana‑style or statute‑based audit regimes vary by state and that Wyoming’s code currently emphasizes tabulation and post‑election audits rather than routine hand counts.

Multiple public commenters urged the committee to authorize procedures that make paper ballots the primary audit trail and to expand statutory access for hand audits. Pete Kapp, a technologist who addressed the committee remotely, said the vote‑compilation step (the offline computer that aggregates USB reports) is a vulnerability if that computer and its antivirus or software are out of date. Several commenters said the Weston County episode showed that a hand examination was necessary to detect a ballot alignment error; clerks and the secretary said they will work with the committee on potential statutory clarifications.

Why this matters: committee members face a balance between (1) preserving voter privacy in small precincts when showing individual ballots and (2) enabling transparency that can detect ballot alignment or tabulation errors. The secretary of state’s office said it will supply additional written information; the committee indicated it will consider interim work on auditing and adjudication procedures.

Sources: Secretary of State presentation and committee Q&A, May 8, 2025; clerk statements during demonstration; public comments at the May 8 meeting.","The Secretary of State described irregular results in Weston County that were later confirmed by a hand examination; lawmakers and public commenters pressed for clearer statutory audit procedures, vendor transparency and the ability to conduct hand counts in defined circumstances.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Secretary of State briefs committee on 2025 election‑law changes and presidential executive order on election integrity

Wyoming county clerks demonstrate logic-and-accuracy testing, chain-of-custody and post-election audits

Voter‑access groups at committee: focus on turnout, not more restrictions

Weston County post‑election review prompts calls for clearer audit and hand‑count rules