by Maggie Mullen, WyoFile
The Natrona County Republican Party’s executive committee passed a formal resolution earlier this month applauding the safety and security of the state’s elections and condemning the Wyoming Republican Party for casting “doubt upon the integrity of Wyoming’s election process.”
The resolution comes on the tail end of an election season in Wyoming that saw expensive and often negative campaigning, a last-minute dispute over voting machines, at least three election-related lawsuits, the censure of a county clerk and a high-profile showdown between the state’s top two elected officials over election regulations.
All said and done, however, a routine post-election audit of Wyoming’s 2024 primary election results provided “no findings or observations,” and the results were certified without a fuss. And early voting for the general election is on pace to easily eclipse primary-election turnout with voters lining up across the state.
“Wyoming’s electoral process is safe, free from fraud and interference,” the Natrona County GOP’s resolution states.
Passed unanimously on Oct. 16, the resolution is the latest salvo in a long-standing conflict between the more traditionalist county party and the hard-line statewide organization.
In recent years, that’s included withheld dues, a slashed delegate count, other pointed resolutions and even litigation. In 2022, the Natrona County GOP formally requested that state GOP Chairman Frank Eathorne step down after several controversial revelations about him came to light.
Now, the county party is condemning the state party’s “efforts to misinform the general public and/or pursue frivolous litigation against its county clerks alleging a problem that does not exist.”
One of the several election-related lawsuits was filed by the Wyoming Republican Party against Laramie County Clerk Debra Lee. Court records indicate the dispute has since been settled.
Meanwhile, the resolution “rejects any statement and/or effort by statewide Republican Party leadership which undermines, disparages or otherwise casts doubt upon the integrity of Wyoming’s election process.”
Lacking legal teeth, the resolution is primarily a symbolic gesture ahead of next week’s general election.
Eathorne did not respond to WyoFile’s request for comment for this story.
How we got here
In weeks leading up to the August primary election, the Laramie County GOP filed a complaint with the Wyoming Secretary of State’s Office against Laramie County Clerk Debra Lee over a flawed voting machine test. The Wyoming GOP followed that complaint with a lawsuit against Lee.
State law requires voting machines to be fed ballots with varied numbers of votes for candidates during public testing. This is meant to ensure that votes are counted accurately. The dispute in Cheyenne began when test ballots included the same number of votes for different candidates.
The night before the lawsuit was filed, the state GOP sent an email to members marked “URGENT.”
“Legal challenges cost money,” the email read.
“We need $20,000 in the next 24 hours to pay for a court injunction to bring the County Clerk’s recent failure to properly test voting machines, despite repeated requests to correct the test, to the court’s attention, and request appropriate relief, including a hand count of ballots!”
With the lawsuit underway, Secretary of State Chuck Gray requested several other counties redo their tests of voting machines for similar reasons. Those concerns were straightened out, CJ Young, the elections division director for the secretary of state’s office, told the state canvassing board.
The lawsuit was ultimately resolved through a settlement agreement requiring additional public testing before and after the primary. More specifically, District Court Judge Catherine Rogers approved a consent decree — a type of settlement that resolves a dispute between two parties without admitting liability — on Aug. 19, according to court records.
About three weeks later, the state GOP voted to censure Lee, according to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle.
Far from being the only Wyoming elected official to be censured by the Wyoming GOP, Lee is the first county clerk in recent history to receive the increasingly common reprimand from Wyoming Republicans.
The Natrona County Republican Party, meanwhile, made a point to support Lee and the state’s 22 other county clerks in its recent resolution.
“The Natrona County Republican Party fully supports and endorses both the Natrona County Clerk’s office as well as all Wyoming County Clerks and recognizes their continuing efforts to ensure safe and accessible elections for all Wyoming citizens,” the resolution reads.
Early voting is underway in Wyoming. The general election is Nov. 5.
Disclosure: WyoFile board member Susan Stubson is a member of the Natrona County Republican Party’s Executive Committee. She played no role, and had no input in the production of this story.
This article was originally published by WyoFile and is republished here with permission. WyoFile is an independent nonprofit news organization focused on Wyoming people, places and policy.
