Wyoming council adopts resolution to limit detailed reporting of frivolous write‑in names

Wyoming, Minn. — The Wyoming City Council on June 4 adopted a resolution allowing the city to report only total write‑in tallies on election night unless the total write‑in count for a contest equals or exceeds the lowest vote total for a named candidate, in which case write‑in votes would be broken out individually.

County and city election staff described the change as an option made available by recent state law and requested by the Chisago County Auditor’s Office to reduce election‑night workload caused by individually tallying many frivolous or symbolic write‑in names. The county official said write‑in sums would still be included in certified results; the change affects whether individual write‑in names are listed on preliminary results.

Why this matters: Municipalities that adopt the resolution will not be required to list every single write‑in name and vote count on election night when the write‑in totals are small relative to the named candidates. Staff said the final certified totals and ability to count a meaningful write‑in campaign remain intact: if write‑in totals match or exceed the lowest named candidate total, the write‑ins would be tabulated in detail.

Councilmember Yeager questioned how voters would be informed and whether discouraging detailed reporting of write‑ins could deter participation. "What one person considers frivolous may be somebody else’s political statement, and that deserves to be heard," Yeager said. County staff replied that write‑in totals would still appear in final results and that the change affects only the level of detail shown on initial tallies.

Action taken: The council moved to adopt the resolution governing write‑in vote counting and approved it on a voice vote with one recorded nay.

Next steps: The city will coordinate with Chisago County election staff on implementation and public information ahead of upcoming primaries and the general election.