People wishing to change their party affiliations for a primary election would have to do so by May 1 under a bill that won approval from a Senate committee on Tuesday.
The Senate Agriculture Committee approved HB 106 on a vote of 4-1, sending it to the floor for review by the full Senate.
The bill has been changed a number of times since being introduced and the committee on Tuesday changed it again. Under amendments approved by the committee, Republicans or Democrats wishing to change parties would have to do so by May 1. Independents wishing to join a major party would have to do so no later than two week before a primary. Current Wyoming law allows people to change party affiliation at the polls on the day of a primary election. That practice would no longer be allowed.
In Wyoming’s last election, the secretary of state’s office reported more than 12,000 people changed party affiliation. The Wyoming Republican Party has made placing time restrictions on such changes a priority for the Legislature.
