Amid public outcry and concerns over election integrity, Wyoming’s State Canvassing Board voted unanimously on Wednesday to certify the state’s 2024 election results, Gillette News Record reports.
The decision came despite errors in Weston County that highlighted vulnerabilities in the election process and prompted calls for a statewide hand recount.
The controversy in Weston County arose after County Clerk Becky Hadlock mistakenly used two incorrect versions of a printed ballot during the November 5 general election. According to Secretary of State Chuck Gray, the misaligned ballots caused votes for Rep. Chip Neiman, R-Hulett, in House District 1 to be registered as undervotes. This discrepancy was revealed through an unusually high number of undervotes—1,289 compared to just 166 votes recorded for Neiman.
Gray’s office flagged the anomaly on election night and initiated an investigation, culminating in a hand recount of Weston County votes last Friday. The recount confirmed the errors, and the corrected results were certified locally before the State Canvassing Board’s meeting.
“This is very concerning,” Gray said.
The Secretaty criticized the Weston County clerk for initially claiming no errors in a post-election audit despite evidence to the contrary. Gray also confirmed that his office is working with the Attorney General’s Office to investigate the clerk’s actions.
The board’s decision to certify the results came after nearly three hours of discussion, including public comment that exposed widespread skepticism about election security.
Newcastle Mayor Pam Gualtieri urged the board to delay certification, citing potential hidden errors in Weston County’s primary election results.
“I have a lot of incoming candidates that were elected who now question if they should or should not be taking their seat,” Gualtieri said.
Susan Love, a Weston County resident, echoed these concerns.
“If you certify this election knowing that one county found flipped votes, and no other counties have been checked by hand, you’re damaging the integrity of Wyoming elections,” she said.
Others, like Wyoming GOP Executive Director Kathy Russell, expressed mixed feelings, acknowledging efforts to ensure election accuracy while emphasizing the need for continued vigilance.
Weston County’s errors weren’t the only hiccups in Wyoming’s election. Elections Division Director CJ Young detailed other resolved issues:
- Fremont County: Two DS200 voting machines malfunctioned—one from a physical drop and another due to a loading error—but both issues were addressed, and votes were accurately recorded.
- Big Horn County: A scuff-marked ballot was rejected; the problem was fixed by cleaning the voting machine’s roller.
- Washakie County: A corrupted USB stick error was traced back to a sticky note jamming the paper path.
- Teton County: Two jammed ballots required a recount, with adjusted results certified locally.
Despite these incidents, Young reassured the board that all issues had been resolved prior to certification.
Platte County Clerk Malcolm Ervin, president of the Wyoming County Clerks Association, emphasized the importance of learning from Weston County’s mistakes.
“Sometimes the best lessons are those you learn the hard way, and I’m here to tell you, we learned this one the hard way,” he said.
The Weston County GOP has called for Hadlock’s removal as clerk, citing concerns over her handling of the election. Meanwhile, state officials are considering measures to strengthen election oversight and prevent similar issues in the future.
