Gordon and Gray Clash Over Wyoming Election Security

Governor Mark Gordon and Secretary of State Chuck Gray are at odds over how to prevent non-citizens from voting in Wyoming, even though there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the state, Oil City News reports.

While Wyoming law already requires US citizenship to vote, both officials agree more should be done to secure elections, though they differ on the best approach.

The disagreement traces back to April when Governor Gordon vetoed a proposal by Gray that would have required proof of residency for voter registration. This marked the second time in two months that Gordon blocked Gray’s proposed regulations, arguing that the secretary of state had overstepped his legal authority.

Gray, however, insists that the rules are necessary to prevent voter fraud and pointed to a case in Campbell County where a non-citizen registered and voted in 2020. Despite this, the Campbell County clerk’s office confirmed the registration was canceled, and no criminal charges were filed. Gray has criticized Gordon’s veto in public forums, stating that the governor should have approved the rules given their strong public support during the vetting process.

Gordon has largely stayed silent on the criticism but responded with an executive order in September directing state agencies and county clerks to monitor and report any suspected instances of non-citizen voting. His order emphasized Wyoming’s election security and expressed concern about the potential effects of federal immigration policies on voter integrity, though he maintained confidence in the state’s election system.

Gray criticized the executive order as insufficient, arguing that the real solution would have been to approve his proof-of-residency rules. Gordon’s office, however, reaffirmed that the secretary’s authority is limited by what the state legislature allows and that his role should not overstep that boundary.

This clash comes as election security remains a key concern for many, despite the lack of significant evidence of voter fraud in Wyoming. Only three instances of voter fraud convictions have occurred in the state over the past 23 years, according to the Heritage Foundation.