A Wyoming House committee has advanced a bill proposing a statewide ban on ballot drop boxes, Casper Star Tribune reports.
House Bill 131 (HB 131), sponsored by Rep. Christopher Knapp, R-Gillette, passed the House Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivisions Committee on Wednesday with an 8-1 vote. The sole dissenting vote came from Rep. Mike Yin, D-Jackson.
Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray, the state’s chief election official, has made banning ballot drop boxes a priority in his efforts to tighten voting rules. Gray has argued that Wyoming law does not currently allow for the use of drop boxes, claiming that their implementation resulted from a misinterpretation of the law during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Wyoming law I believe already does not allow their use. The strained interpretation only came about during the government’s response to COVID-19,” Gray said.
He referenced directives issued by his predecessor in 2020 that he later rescinded.
In recent elections, seven counties in Wyoming — Albany, Carbon, Converse, Fremont, Laramie, Sweetwater, and Teton — utilized ballot drop boxes. County clerks provided insight into their use during the committee meeting.
Fremont County Clerk Julie Freese highlighted the benefits of drop boxes in rural areas, explaining their convenience for individuals working in industries like mining and oil and gas. Freese noted the security measures her county had implemented since 2020, including 24-hour surveillance, anti-theft devices, and alarms to deter loitering.
“People appreciate that. I look at the footage, and I’ve seen people with canes and walkers using the drop boxes,” Freese said.
She added that her office has not encountered any issues with missing ballots or other security problems.
Natrona County Clerk Tracy Good shared her county’s long-standing use of an indoor ballot receptacle, which has been in place since 1992. In the most recent general election, over 32% of absentee ballots in Natrona County were submitted through this receptacle, amounting to more than 13,000 ballots.
Malcolm Ervin, Platte County Clerk and president of the County Clerks’ Association of Wyoming, testified to provide historical context rather than taking a position on the bill. Ervin explained that some form of ballot receptacle has been used in Wyoming counties since the 1990s.
Ervin emphasized that directives introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic marked the first time formal security requirements were placed on drop boxes. These measures included surveillance and tracking mechanisms, which several clerks said had worked effectively.
