Governor Gordon Allows Voter Residency Bill To Become Wyoming Law

Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon has allowed a bill that requires voters to prove they have lived in Wyoming for 30 days to vote to become law without his signature.

You can read House Bill 156 here.

In a letter commenting on the bill, Gordon raised questions as to whether the bill would withstand a court challenge in view of the fact that it conflicts with a federal law prohibiting durational residency requirements to vote for president or vice president. “Whether the federal or state statute will prevail in a legal contest is likely a question that will have to be resolved in court,” Governor Gordon wrote.

You can read the governor's letter on the bill here.

Gray Pleased That Bill Will Become Law

But while Governor Gordon may have reservations about the legality of the bill. Secretary of State Chuck Gray takes a very different view.

Gray issues a statement which includes the following:

“Today marks a pivotal moment for election integrity in Wyoming,” Secretary Gray said in a statement. “Proof of citizenship and proof of residency for registering to vote are both so important.  Only United States citizens, and only Wyomingites, should be voting in Wyoming elections.  Period.  HB 156 makes Wyoming the first state in the nation to apply proof of citizenship for registering to vote for all elections.  This was the first priority of our conservative election integrity reform agenda.

Gordon in his letter accused Gray of trying to exceed his authority prior to the passage of the bill “Because it is laudable to continuously improve our standards for identification, I am thrilled that this legislation now gives the Secretary of State the authority he was trying to usurp by passing rules he had no authority to pass last spring,” Governor Gordon wrote. “The will of the Legislature is finally clear on this point. Let us remember, though, it is ultimately essential and core to the workings of both our Wyoming and United States Constitutions that a bona fide citizen be able to vote without undue difficulty, and that right should not be abridged or diminished as a result of measures taken to conduct an election.”