Switching political parties to choose the primary in which to vote is a Wyoming tradition that’s been under more scrutiny recently.
Switching political parties in order to choose the primary in which a voter wants to cast a ballot is an old Wyoming tradition, one that has faced growing scrutiny as Democrats in the state continue struggle to field competitive candidates, and Republican primaries often all but decide who eventually wins office.
At least some Democrats in this GOP-dominated state haven’t been shy about changing party affiliation just to vote in Republican primaries, including the blockbuster U.S. House race last year that saw Rep. Liz Cheney defeated by Cheyenne attorney Harriet Hageman.
Amid GOP grumbling about “crossover voting,” switching parties ahead of primaries in Wyoming is about to become far more difficult. Republican Gov. Mark Gordon allowed a bill curtailing the practice to take effect Friday without his signature.
The bill has flaws that may confuse voters but they aren’t serious enough to warrant a veto, Gordon said in a letter to lawmakers.
But Republicans’ overwhelming voter registration advantage in Wyoming stands to make the law’s changes “more academic than real,” Gordon wrote.
“I urge voters to learn about these changes,” he wrote.
Wyoming voters had been able to register to vote and declare party affiliation at the polls or up to two weeks before primary day. The new law prohibits changing party affiliation for almost three months before primary day in August.
Crossover voting in Wyoming drew renewed attention ahead of the 2022 primary as former President Donald Trump and his allies sought to discourage the state’s dwindling number of Democrats from voting for Cheney as she courted their votes.
“It makes total sense that only Democrats vote in the Democrat primary and only Republicans vote in the Republican primary,” Trump said in a statement endorsing a similar bill last year that failed.
Access to voting in primaries varies widely across the country, ranging from 20 states where any voter may choose candidates from any party to nine states where only voters registered with a party can vote for that party’s candidates.
