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Read. Follow. Verify.Wyoming bill requires pen and paper ballots as default for all in-person voting
Last action · February 9, 2026: H Failed Introduction 38-24-0-0-0Sponsor: Corporations
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What This Bill Proposed
Wyoming counties are required to provide paper ballots and pens as the default method for all in-person voting under a proposed state bill. The measure permits s exclusively for voters with disabilities, while prohibiting their use as the general default voting method.
Changes standard election administration procedures across every county by altering how voters interact with voting equipment, while preserving specialized accessible devices for individuals with disabilities under federal and state standards.
- The Joint Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivisions Interim Committee serves as an interim legislative committee in Wyoming that develops policy proposals between legislative sessions. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
All in-person voters in Wyoming
Voters must use paper ballots and pens as the default method for in-person voting.
Voters with disabilities
County clerks are permitted to provide electronic ballot marking devices for their use.
Wyoming county clerks
County clerks must provide paper ballots, pens, and ensure compliance with default paper voting rules.
Key Facts
- Each county must provide paper ballots and pens as the default method for all in-person voting in all elections in Wyoming.
- County clerks are required to provide all voters with a paper ballot and a pen to mark the ballot secretly.
- County clerks remain permitted to provide electronic ballot marking devices specifically for persons with disabilities.
- Electronic ballot marking devices must comply with federal accessibility standards, including the Help America Vote Act of 2002.
Show all 6 facts
- Counties are strictly prohibited from using electronic ballot marking devices as the default method of marking ballots.
- Statutes governing county commissioners, voting machines, electronic voting systems, bond elections, and school or community college district elections are amended to be subject to the new paper ballot requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this bill ban electronic voting machines entirely for everyone?
What is the default method for marking ballots under this measure?
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News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Failed in the House.
Procedural history
3 actions- Feb 9, 2026HouseH Failed Introduction 38-24-0-0-0
- Jan 22, 2026HouseH Received for Introduction
- Jan 20, 2026Bill Number Assigned
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Mandatory Shift to Paper Ballots
The bill introduces a statutory requirement making paper ballots the mandatory default across all Wyoming counties, overriding broad local discretion previously granted to county commissioners.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.wyoleg.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 65)
- Controversy75Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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