Wyoming State Canvassing Board Certifies Election Results Despite Weston County Miscount Controversy

Wyoming’s State Canvassing Board officially certified the results of the 2024 general election on Wednesday, despite calls for a delay from some Weston County residents due to a voting error.

The miscount stemmed from the incorrect use of ballots in Weston County, causing a significant discrepancy in House District 1’s unopposed race. Secretary of State Chuck Gray acknowledged “a number of issues” on election night, with the Weston County miscount as the most serious.

The election night error involved the use of two incorrect ballot versions in voting machines, leading to 1,236 undervotes for state Rep. Chip Neiman, R-Hulett. As a result, residents, including Newcastle Mayor Pam Gualtieri, expressed concerns about election integrity, urging the board to delay certification until a hand recount could be completed across all counties.

“There’s a lot of concern in our community about whether their voice was heard,” Gualtieri said.

Despite the controversy, Gray recommended certification, clarifying that Weston County’s votes fell under its local canvassing board’s jurisdiction. The State Canvassing Board, comprising Secretary of State Gray, Governor Mark Gordon, State Treasurer Curt Meier, and State Auditor Kristi Racines, unanimously voted to certify the election results.

Gray detected an unusual vote discrepancy in Neiman’s race on election night and attempted to reach Weston County Clerk Becky Hadlock, who later admitted to using two incorrect ballot versions. This led to 62 miscounted votes in two local county commissioner races. Initially, Hadlock disputed any error in the county’s post-election audit, conducted early on election day. However, a subsequent analysis revealed the ballot misalignment error, and a hand count on Friday confirmed the correct results.

The incident has drawn intense scrutiny. Newcastle residents voiced distrust in election procedures, with some, like Jill Kaufman, suggesting a statewide hand audit to restore voter confidence.

“This is a wake-up call,” Kaufman stated.

The Wyoming Attorney General’s Office will investigate Hadlock’s conduct, including her post-election audit submission. Additionally, the Wyoming GOP announced plans to seek her removal, with local officials describing the miscount as “negligent.”

Election officials noted several minor election issues in Wyoming counties, all resolved by the time of certification. Notable incidents included:

• In Fremont County, a machine rebooted unexpectedly, though the results were unaffected. Another absentee ballot machine experienced a minor technical issue, which was promptly addressed.
• Big Horn County encountered a ballot scuff issue, resolved by cleaning the voting machine roller.
• Washakie County had a USB stick error due to a sticky note jam, initially misdiagnosed by the machine.

Gray, who plans to push for election-related legislative measures in 2025, said his office will conduct a thorough analysis of the Weston County incident and increase “checks and balances” in future elections.

Wednesday’s meeting also highlighted the growing public concern over election integrity. While some citizens voiced support for additional security measures, Wyoming GOP Executive Director Kathy Russell praised the progress but echoed the call for greater transparency and responsiveness to public concerns.

The board’s decision marks the official certification of Wyoming’s election results, with the Electoral College set to confirm Wyoming’s votes on Dec. 17.

Cowboy State Daily and Wyoming Tribune Eagle contributed to this report.