DECEMBER 20, 2024 |
Photo – Wyoming’s Secretary of State Chuck Gray – Bigfoot99 file photo
During a press conference held at the Wyoming Capitol on Thursday, Secretary of State Chuck Gray said he will push for legislation banning the use of voting drop boxes during the upcoming session.
“I remain convinced that the use of unstaffed and unattended ballot drop boxes is not best for our state and lacks statutory authorization,” he said.
Since Gray isn’t a member of the Legislature anymore, he’ll have to rely on legislators to help shepherd through his priorities for 2025, which he highlighted in the press conference. Many focus on election security.
With the Wyoming Freedom Caucus and similarly aligned conservative lawmakers taking over a majority of seats in the state House this year, Gray will have a better chance than ever to get his legislative priorities accomplished. He said he expects at least 35 votes in support of his priorities in the House.
“It’s totally different now,” he said. “There’s been a huge change.”
Gray is likely correct about the political temperature in the House. The State Senate may prove to be a bigger political challenge.
Drop boxes became controversial during the 2020 elections when COVID-19 provided political cover fostering their adoption. Allegations made in the movie “2000 Mules” documented alleged abuses by paid political operatives and election officials in other parts of the country appearing to stuff the drop boxes with phony ballots, often in the middle of the night.
Wyoming laws are ambiguous about the use of drop boxes. Only seven counties made them available in this year’s presidential election.
