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Appropriations committee advances bill to ban ranked‑choice voting amid equipment and policy concerns
Summary
House Bill 165, which would prohibit ranked‑choice voting in Wyoming, was advanced by the House Appropriations Committee on a 5–1 vote. Supporters cited voter confusion and ballot exhaustion; county clerks and election administrators noted equipment and certification limitations.
The House Appropriations Committee voted to advance House Bill 165, a measure that would amend state election code to prohibit ranked‑choice voting in Wyoming and add ballot‑format clarifications.
Representative Joe Webb, the bill sponsor, told the committee that the proposal would bar any governmental entity from authorizing a ranked‑choice system and would amend statutory ballot language to clarify how many votes a voter may cast for multi‑seat contests. "It's a pretty simple bill, pretty straightforward," Webb said when introducing the proposal.
Supporters who testified included a state official who said they had previously opposed ranked‑choice proposals and described technical and implementation problems seen elsewhere. The official argued ranked‑choice systems can produce "ballot exhaustion"—where ballots lack preferences in later…
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