
Save the politicians, screw the people: “Redistricting” showed the bald self interest that drives the Wyoming Legislature
Members of the public made clear their wishes for better representation during the Wyoming Legislature’s 2022 “redistricting” process. But in the end, the chaotic ordeal confirmed that most lawmakers’ number one priority is protecting their own political interests.

Outcry confronts bill to restrict Wyoming voting, prompting committee to kill it
More than a dozen Wyoming voters showed up to ask the Wyoming House Appropriations Committee on Monday to defeat Senate File 97, which would limit who can vote in primary elections. They argued the proposal would make voting more difficult and force residents to vote blind. After more than an hour of testimony against it, the committee agreed and thumbed the bill down.

Wyoming Senate scraps “redistricting” plan in a reckless power play
County clerks, legislators, local officials, and members of the public worked for months to reach consensus on a new statewide election district map. On Tuesday, the Wyoming Senate voted to throw that plan in the trash and start from scratch with just seven days remaining in the 2022 legislative session.
The Senate’s move is a last-ditch attempt to give outsized influence to rural areas that have lost residents over the past decade, while under-representing more urban areas like Cheyenne that have experienced population growth.

Senate advances election restriction bill through Agriculture Committee and after-hours vote
Wyoming Senate leaders pressured members to re-assign a bill that would restrict voting in primary elections to a more favorable committee. After clearing the Agriculture Committee with a 5 - 0 vote, Senators debated the bill late Wednesday night after almost everyone had left the Capitol.
These tactics resemble past years’ efforts to ram through unpopular legislation backed by influential politicians.

Bill advances to limit voting in Wyoming primary elections
A bill that would require Wyoming voters to register with a political party months in advance of a primary election passed an introduction vote in the Senate last week. Currently, thousands of Wyoming voters register on the same day or shortly in advance of elections. The new law would bar voters from participating in the 2022 primary unless they register before May 12.

Grassroots pushback prompts Wyo. lawmakers to think twice about splitting Southside Cheyenne’s vote
An amendment to the “redistricting” bill in the Wyoming House on Wednesday would have been a major setback for voting rights advocates for Southside Cheyenne. But Laramie County lawmakers responding to their constituents vowed to bring a fix on Thursday.

Proposed election map would force 16 Wyo. legislators into runoffs
Sitting legislators often fight to ensure “redistricting” does not pit them against their colleagues in upcoming elections. But the current election district map that looks headed for the 2022 session will force 16 lawmakers to run against each other if they want to stay in the Legislature. We’ll see who comes forth to ask for squiggly lines to be drawn around their homes to protect their seats.

New proposed Wyoming voting map gerrymanders Albany and Laramie Counties
As “redistricting” proceeds, Wyoming lawmakers have adopted a new draft map that gives outsized influence to rural lawmakers, decreases the number of viable Democratic seats in Albany County, and zig-zags around the homes of some Laramie County legislators in an embarrassing display of gerrymandering.

Cheyenne is a gerrymandered mess
Lawmakers have drawn voting district lines in Laramie County so that a large bloc of Democrat-leaning neighborhoods are split between five House districts, resulting in an all-GOP Cheyenne delegation. There is also racial gerrymandering splitting the Latino vote.

County clerks: The puppetmasters of Wyoming redistricting
A key part of redrawing Wyoming's voting districts is determining where "communities of interest" exist. No one plays a bigger role in that process than your local county clerk.