Committee hears hours of testimony on HB 215 amid deep split over replacing machines with hand counts; consideration continued

The Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivisions Committee took extended testimony on House Bill 215, a measure that would substantially change how votes are tabulated in Wyoming by emphasizing hand counting and limiting the role of electronic voting machines. Lawmakers did not vote on the bill and agreed to continue consideration at a later committee meeting.

Malcolm Mervin, who identified himself as the Platte County Clerk and representative of the County Clerks Association, told the committee counties oppose HB 215 because of cost and operational concerns. He pointed to existing statutory processes (he cited Wyoming Statute 22-10-110) for challenging testing and urged incremental fixes instead of wholesale change. He told members the clerks prefer House Bill 232, which he said adds tools for hand recounts and measured implementation.

Several election-integrity advocates testified in favor of HB 215. Jill Kaufman of the Platte County Integrity Group described outreach and presentations…