Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Elections topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Wyoming Secretary of State urges voter ID, ban on ballot drop boxes and conservative agenda to new House
Summary
Secretary of State Chuck Gray addressed the newly organized House, urging passage of measures including documentary proof of citizenship and residency for voters, a statutory ban on unstaffed ballot drop boxes, and a photo-only voter ID requirement, and outlined broader priorities on elections and business registration enforcement.
Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray told the newly organized House of Representatives that his office will press for immediate changes to state election law, including documentary proof of citizenship and residency for voters, a statutory ban on unstaffed ballot drop boxes and a requirement that only photo identification be acceptable for voting.
"Wyomingites and only Wyomingites should be allowed to vote in Wyoming elections, period," Gray said in remarks to the chamber. He said Wyoming currently does not require documentary proof of citizenship or Wyoming residency and added that rules the Secretary of State—s office put forward last year were vetoed by the governor.
Gray said the office will also seek to bar unstaffed ballot drop boxes, saying they "break the chain of custody for ballots" and lack statutory authorization, and urged that voter ID laws require a photo to prevent impersonation. He framed those proposals as part of a broader election-integrity agenda, and said the Secretary of State—s office has prioritized combating business fraud as well: "On the business side, the Wyoming Secretary of State handles business registrations. We've made it a priority of our administration to attack fraud."
Gray addressed a range of policy priorities in his remarks to the House, urging lawmakers to act quickly during the 60-day general session and to pursue conservative proposals he said voters want, including property tax relief and measures affecting education and state institutions. He noted that prior efforts to change rules were subject to executive vetoes and said the current legislature presents an opportunity to advance the agenda.
The Secretary of State also described recent administrative steps taken by his office, including dissolving entities tied to foreign actors in 2024; he characterized those actions as part of efforts to reduce fraud in business registrations. Gray—s remarks were part policy outline and part exhortation to newly sworn legislators to prioritize the issues he identified.
No specific bills were introduced on the floor at the organizational session; Gray—s remarks outlined an agenda he said he would press during the general session.
