Bills to stop ‘crossover voting’ offered

SHERIDAN (WNE) — Sen. Bo Biteman, R-Parkman, introduced two bills Tuesday, both of which are intended to enhance election integrity by limiting party affiliation changes and prohibiting submission of absentee ballots without proper documentation ahead of this year’s primary and general elections. 
Biteman’s first bill, Senate File No. 97, would limit party affiliation changes ahead of the primary election Aug. 16. Biteman introduced a similar bill in 2018 but it died in committee before the 2019 legislative budget session. 
Under current Wyoming law, voters may change their party affiliation at the polls on the day of the primary or general election or when requesting an absentee ballot. If passed, the bill would require voters to declare or change their party affiliation changes by May 12, the day the candidate filing period begins. 
In a press release Wednesday, Biteman said the bill would hinder “crossover voting,” or members of one political party change party affiliation — perhaps on election day — to vote in the competing party’s primary election.
“This practice has been going on for far too long in our state. It is not fair, it is not right, and it is harming the integrity of our party nomination process,” Biteman said. 
The second bill, Senate File No. 96, would prohibit what Biteman called “ballot harvesting,” or individuals and groups gathering or submitting completed absentee ballots from other voters without written and official authorization by the voters.
 
This story was published on Feb. 17.