11/16/2016
Will Dinneen

Wyoming State Canvassing Board Certifies General Election Results

CHEYENNE, WY – Wyoming Secretary of State Ed Murray and the Wyoming State Canvassing Board certified Wyoming’s General Election Results on Wednesday morning, November 16th. The State Canvassing Board is comprised of: Governor Matt Mead; Secretary of State Ed Murray (chairman); State Auditor Cynthia Cloud; and State Treasurer Mark Gordon.

“The 2016 election results are now officially complete. Today the Wyoming State Canvassing Board examined and certified the election results from 98 state-level and federal-level races across Wyoming – including the race for President of the United States. In total, 258,788 Wyoming voters cast their ballot and made their voices heard. It’s been an honor to chair the State Canvassing Board and also to oversee this state’s election,” said Secretary Murray.

Governor Mead and Secretary Murray will both sign a certificate of election for each of the 60 elected Representatives in the Wyoming House, 15 elected Senators in the Wyoming Senate, and one certificate for Wyoming’s newly elected U.S. Congressional Representative. The Governor and Secretary of State will also sign 21 certificates of retention for retained Wyoming Supreme Court Justices, and State District and Circuit Court Judges. The Board also certified the results of the “Constitutional Amendment A” ballot question.

Governor Mead and Secretary Murray will hold a joint event for members of the public and the media to witness the signing of certificates of election and ascertainment for presidential electors. The signing will take place on Friday, November 18th, at 8:00 am in the Kendrick Gallery Conference Room adjacent to the Idelman Mansion.

For more information on the 2016 Election, including complete election results from 2016 races, visit: http://soswy.state.wy.us/Elections/2016ElectionInformation.aspx.

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11/04/2016
Will Dinneen

Secretary of State’s Office Responds to ACLU’s Cease and Desist Letter

CHEYENNE, WY – Earlier today, there was hand delivered to the Secretary of State’s Office a “cease and desist” letter from ACLU and Equality State Policy Center asserting that the Secretary of State’s verification of citizenship is discriminatory. The Secretary of State’s Office immediately referred the “cease and desist” to the Wyoming Attorney General for review on the merits.

“It is my responsibility as Wyoming’s Chief Election Official to uphold the law that only eligible Citizens of the United States be allowed to cast a ballot. When Wyoming’s County Clerks and I are faced with voter eligibility cross-check data that conflicts with voter poll books as to a person’s eligibility (whether for citizenship, felony, or deceased status), we will not ignore our responsibility to reconcile the conflict. With respect to the citizenship cases in question, we’ve worked proactively and diligently to determine any conflict with the hope of resolving any problems in advance of a person’s arrival at the polling place. For this reason, we believe that most of these individuals have responded very positively, understanding the situation and willing to update their documentation and clarify their citizenship. I reiterate that nobody who is an eligible citizen is being denied the opportunity to vote,” said Secretary Murray.

The Secretary of State’s Office verifies voter registration data with the following Wyoming Departments: WYDOT; Division of Criminal Investigation; Department of Health; and the Department of Corrections. Through this verification process, every voter registration is matched against each of these databases to effectively determine voter eligibility and prevent fraudulent registrations by felons, deceased persons, or non-citizens.

“The State of Wyoming takes the voting rights of all of its citizens very seriously. If any voter in Wyoming, for any reason, encounters an issue at their polling location that voter is encouraged to contact our office or their County Clerk who can provide the necessary assistance,” said State Election Director Kai Schon. “No qualified voter will knowingly be denied their constitutional right to exercise their electoral franchise to vote for the candidate of their choosing.”

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11/03/2016
Will Dinneen

Secretary of State Ed Murray Encourages Wyoming to Vote

CHEYENNE, WY – Wyoming’s 2016 General Election takes place on Tuesday, November 8th. Secretary of State Ed Murray is encouraging all eligible voters to cast their vote. There have already been 71,799 absentee ballots requested by voters in Wyoming and 63,175 absentee or in-person absentee ballots have been cast.

“Voting is one of the most important rights we have as citizens. If you already voted, that is great. If you haven’t, you’ll have the opportunity to exercise that most sacred right through Tuesday, November 8th, at 7:00 p.m. I encourage every citizen to become informed and to go cast your vote. Every vote counts,” said Secretary Murray.

For a full listing of all state-level candidates running for office in Wyoming this year, visit: http://soswy.state.wy.us/Elections/Docs/2016/2016_General_Roster.pdf.

The public may also find campaign finance information from state-level candidates, excluding those running for federal office, as well as their candidate committees, and political action committees, by viewing their campaign finance reports on file with the Secretary of State’s Office: https://www.wycampaignfinance.gov/.

“For those who plan to vote on Election Day, Wyoming law requires that employees be given one hour off of work to vote on Election Day. The law stipulates that the hour off may not be a meal hour and may be selected at the employer’s discretion. From absentee voting to this guaranteed hour on Election Day, there is no excuse not to vote,” said State Election Director Kai Schon.

All polling places and vote centers across Wyoming will be open on Election Day, November 8th, between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. To find a polling place, visit: http://soswy.state.wy.us/Elections/PollPlaceLookup-VIP.aspx.

The Secretary of State’s Office works side-by-side with Wyoming’s 23 County Clerks in overseeing and administering Wyoming’s elections. For a complete listing of Wyoming’s County Clerks, visit: https://soswy.state.wy.us/Elections/Docs/WYCountyClerks.pdf.

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10/20/2016
Will Dinneen

Secretary of State and County Clerks Confident in Wyoming’s Elections

CHEYENNE, WY – Today Secretary of State Ed Murray joined with the leadership of the County Clerks Association of Wyoming in reassuring Wyoming voters that the election process is not rigged.

“Recent comments that an election could be rigged gives Wyoming’s 23 County Clerks and myself, as Chief Election Official, the opportunity to assure our citizens of the integrity of our voting process. Wyoming’s County Clerks and I are able to state categorically that Wyoming’s election process will not be ‘rigged’ or ‘hacked’,” said Secretary Murray.

With 19 days to go before General Election Day 2016, the Secretary of State’s Office reminds voters that they can be confident of the accuracy and fairness of elections in Wyoming for reasons which include:

  • No Wyoming voting system is ever connected to the internet and thus cannot be hacked;
  • Each polling place reconciles the number of votes cast to guarantee that the number of people who checked into the polling place matches the number of ballots cast;
  • Every voting system that is used in an election is tested publicly for ballot tabulation accuracy before being used in any election. Once tested, the ballot counter is immediately locked and sealed through Election Day;
  • Each ballot can be verified by a paper audit trail that can be used to confirm the accuracy of every single vote while not associating any one ballot with a voter in order to maintain the secrecy of each person’s vote;
  • Wyoming’s 23 County Clerks work with well trained and experienced citizen election judges and poll workers who manage and monitor each polling place to ensure that the voting environment is efficient and free of obstructions and distractions for the voters;
  • Once votes are cast, each county convenes a bi-partisan canvassing board comprised of members selected from different political parties to join with the County Clerk to review the election tallies and certify election results;
  • All voters must attest that they are citizens and eligible to vote. Wyoming’s voter registration system interfaces with data from the Wyoming Departments of Transportation, Health, Corrections, and the Division of Criminal Investigation to prevent voter fraud such as votes cast by deceased persons. If voter fraud were to ever occur, those individuals would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

“The citizens of Wyoming will decide the winners and losers in this election – fair and square,” said Carbon County Clerk Gwynn Bartlett, President of the County Clerk’s Association of Wyoming. “Wyoming’s voting process is protected from beginning to end. There are many safeguards that the Secretary of State’s Office and County Clerks have put in place to maintain the integrity of each person’s vote.”

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09/26/2016
Will Dinneen

Secretary of State’s Office: Absentee Voting for General Election Underway

CHEYENNE, WY – Secretary of State Ed Murray is reminding everybody that absentee voting is taking place in all counties throughout Wyoming for the General Election. All Wyoming citizens who are registered to vote may vote absentee either by requesting an absentee ballot from their County Clerk or by going to their Clerk’s office. For a list of Wyoming’s County Clerks, visit: http://soswy.state.wy.us/Elections/Docs/WYCountyClerks.pdf

“I am pleased to announce on National Voter Registration Day that absentee voting is now underway across Wyoming. Registering to vote is an essential step on the path to casting a vote. Now that absentee voting is underway, you can register to vote with your county clerk’s office and cast a ballot at the same time. I encourage all Wyoming citizens to take the time to become informed and cast their ballot between now and November 8th,” said Secretary Murray.

The Secretary of State’s Office is encouraging Wyoming’s youth to consider attending the 2016 Youth Voter Summit in Laramie, Wyoming at the University of Wyoming Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center on October 4th as part of Secretary Murray’s efforts to increase voter turnout of 18-24 year olds.

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09/26/2016
Will Dinneen

Secretary of State Announces 2016 Youth Voter Summit

CHEYENNE, WY – Secretary of State Ed Murray is excited to announce the upcoming 2016 Youth Voter Summit. The Summit will be held on Tuesday, October 4th from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm in Laramie, Wyoming at the University of Wyoming Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center. The Summit is free for all attendees and lunch will be provided. The Youth Voter Summit is the first of its kind in Wyoming.

“Only 10.6% percent of youth aged 18-24 chose to vote in the 2014 General Election. This is unacceptable. This year, the first ever Youth Voter Summit is meant to inspire our youth across Wyoming to get out, get informed, and cast a ballot. By casting a vote, our youth have the opportunity to determine their future as well as the future of Wyoming and our Nation. I’ve heard it said that ‘our youth are the future.’ I believe that’s true, but, I also believe that Wyoming’s youth are the ‘now’,” said Secretary Murray.

The 2016 Youth Voter Summit will include perspectives on the importance of voting from Wyoming’s youth, remarks by Governor Matt Mead and Secretary of State Ed Murray, and a keynote address by Wyoming born and bred Olympic gold medalist Rulon Gardner. The President of the Bill of Right’s Institute in Washington D.C., Dr. David Bobb, will also attend and address the gathering.

Pre-registration for the Summit is encouraged for a head count, but not required. In addition to a series of guest speakers, panels of experts will address two notable topics: the relationship between civic education, civic participation, and youth participation in the political process; and how the changing media landscape impacts youth perceptions of politics.

Wyoming’s own Chancey Williams and the Younger Brothers Band will perform at the Gateway Center that evening at the conclusion of the Summit. Voter registration will be provided by Albany County Clerk Jackie Gonzales’ office from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm at the Summit. The events of the day will be livestreamed and broadcast at Casper College and Laramie County Community College.

“We are thrilled to be holding this Summit for youth from across Wyoming thanks to our sponsors. This event is funded by our generous partners, who agree that low youth voter participation is a serious issue,” said State Election Director Kai Schon.

For more information visit: 2016yvs.visitlaramie.org

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09/08/2016
Will Dinneen, Public Information and Communications Officer

Wyoming Secretary of State’s Office Certifies Candidates for General Election Ballot

CHEYENNE, WY – The Wyoming Secretary of State’s Office certified 136 state-level and 10 national-level candidates for the 2016 General Election Ballot today. Six candidates for President of the United States were certified, one from each of Wyoming’s major political parties: Constitution, Democratic, Libertarian, and Republican; as well as two candidates designated as Independent. Four candidates for United States Representative from those same major parties round out the national candidates certified. The candidates for Wyoming State Legislature include 69 Republicans, 61 Democrats, two Constitution party members, and four candidates designated as Independent.

“Now we are only 60 days out from the November 8th General Election, and we’ve officially certified the 2016 candidates for office to the county clerks. I am encouraging every citizen, especially our Wyoming youth who have historically not participated to a great extent in the voting process, to engage with the candidates we certified today, become informed, and get out and vote on November 8th,” said Secretary Murray.

Two independent presidential candidates successfully obtained the requisite number of signatures to be placed on the 2016 General Election Ballot in Wyoming: Jill Stein and “Rocky” Roque De La Fuente. Four independent candidates for state legislature also obtained the necessary signatures from voters in their districts to be placed on the ballot: House District 24 (Sandy Newsome); House District 58 (Joseph Porambo); Senate District 6 (Kym Zwonitzer); and Senate District 18 (Cindy Baldwin).

“An impressive number of independent candidates for office submitted signature petitions to our office for validation and verification. Two of the three presidential candidates who submitted signatures obtained the necessary 3,302 valid signatures to qualify for placement on the general election ballot. One individual, Mr. Evan McMullin, failed to obtain the necessary number of valid signatures to qualify. Four individuals submitted petitions for state legislative office, and each was successful,” said Kai Schon, State Election Director.

Find a full list of those candidates certified here:

http://soswy.state.wy.us/Elections/Docs/2016/2016_General_Roster.pdf

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