2010 Wyoming Statutes
Title 22 - Elections
Chapter 4 - Political Parties

CHAPTER 4 - POLITICAL PARTIES

 

ARTICLE 1 - MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES

 

22-4-101. Application; composition, election and qualifications of county central committees; certificate of election.

 

(a) This article is applicable only to "major political parties".

 

(b) The county central committee of each political party consists of precinct committeemen and committeewomen elected in the county at the regular biennial primary election. Each political party in each precinct shall elect one (1) committeeman and one (1) committeewoman for each two hundred fifty (250) votes or major fraction thereof cast for the party's candidate for representative in congress in the last general election, but provided that no precinct shall be entitled to less than one (1) precinct committeeman and precinct committeewoman. Precinct committeemen and committeewomen shall be electors registered in the party and resident in the precinct. The county clerk shall issue a certificate of election to the precinct committeemen and committeewomen elected and concurrently notify the county central committee chairman. The certificate shall state the term of office which shall begin on the day the primary election is canvassed and shall expire on the date the next regular biennial primary election is canvassed. If a precinct boundary line is changed for any reason, the county commissioners shall determine the number of precinct committeemen and committeewomen to which the affected precinct is entitled.

 

22-4-102. Repealed By Laws 1998, ch. 100, 5.

 

22-4-103. County central committee vacancies.

 

A vacancy in the county central committee shall occur in the case of death, resignation, failure of a qualified candidate to be elected to a precinct committeeman or committeewoman position, or removal of residence from the precinct. A vacancy shall be filled by the county central committee by election of a registered elector resident in the precinct in which the vacancy exists and registered in the party or as provided by the party bylaws.

 

22-4-104. County central committee organizational meeting; notice of meetings.

 

The county central committee shall meet and organize under the direction of the county chairman at the time and place determined by the county chairman within thirty (30) days after the county chairman has received notice from the county clerk that all of its members have been certified elected. The county chairman shall also publish a notice of all meetings of the county central committee in a newspaper of general county circulation not less than two (2) days prior to a meeting.

 

22-4-105. County central committee odd year meeting; notice; election of chairman, state committeeman and committeewoman.

 

The county central committee shall meet at the county seat each odd-numbered year at a time and place determined by the county chairman. The county chairman shall publish notice of the meeting in a newspaper of general circulation within the county not less than ten (10) days before this meeting. At the meeting, the county central committee shall elect the chairman of the county central committee, one (1) state committeeman and one (1) state committeewoman and other offices as provided by the party bylaws. A state political party may provide in its rules for the election of additional state committeemen and additional state committeewomen. Neither the chairman, state committeeman or state committeewoman need be members of the county central committee.

 

22-4-106. County convention.

 

The county convention of each political party shall meet in even-numbered years.

 

22-4-107. County convention delegates.

 

Delegates to the county convention of a political party are the members of the county central committee, unless a political party provides in its rules for an alternate method of selecting such delegates.

 

22-4-108. Delegates and alternates to state convention; county platform.

 

The county convention shall elect from electors resident in the county and registered in the party delegates and alternates to the state convention as apportioned by the rules of the party. The county convention may also adopt a county platform.

 

22-4-109. Notice to state chairman of state committeeman and committeewoman.

 

The county chairman shall immediately notify the state chairman in writing of the names and addresses of persons elected to the offices of state committeeman and committeewoman.

 

22-4-110. Composition of state central committee.

 

The state central committee consists of state committeemen and committeewomen and county chairmen elected at the odd-numbered year meeting of the county central committees, and of any other party officials provided by the bylaws of the party.

 

22-4-111. State central committee organizational meeting; notice.

 

The state central committee shall hold an organizational meeting in odd-numbered years, at which it shall elect from electors registered in the party a chairman, secretary and other officers as provided in the rules of the party. The state chairman shall mail notice of the time and place of this meeting to each member of the committee not later than ten (10) days before the meeting.

 

22-4-112. State committeeman or committeewoman vacancies.

 

A vacancy in the office of state committeeman or committeewoman occurring by death, resignation or removal of residence from the county shall be filled by the county central committee of the county in which the vacancy occurs within thirty (30) days of such vacancy.

 

22-4-113. Delegation of functions to subcommittees.

 

The state and county central committees may delegate any lawful function to a subcommittee by majority resolution consistent with party rules, except election of its officers.

 

22-4-114. Representation by proxy; qualifications.

 

A member of a political committee or subcommittee may be represented at any meeting of the committee or subcommittee by written proxy. A person holding a proxy must be a resident of the same political subdivision as the member he represents. No person shall be allowed to vote more than two (2) proxies.

 

22-4-115. Date of party state convention.

 

Each political party shall hold a state convention in even-numbered years.

 

22-4-116. Calling of state convention; contents of notice.

 

The state chairman shall call a state convention by filing notice in the office of the secretary of state and of each county clerk not later than twenty (20) days before the convention. The notice shall state the total number of delegates and alternates, and the number of delegates to which each county is entitled.

 

22-4-117. State convention members.

 

Members of the state convention are the delegates or their alternates chosen by the county conventions, and the delegates or their alternates chosen at large by the youth organizations of the political parties in accordance with rules of their respective party.

 

22-4-118. State convention powers and duties.

 

 

(a) The state convention has the following powers and duties:

 

(i) To nominate electors of president and vice-president of the United States;

 

(ii) To elect national committeemen and committeewomen;

 

(iii) To adopt a platform;

 

(iv) To select delegates and alternates to national nominating conventions;

 

(v) To formulate or change the rules governing the internal organizations of the party which rules must include:

 

(A) The time, place, manner of election and terms of office of party officers not provided by statute;

 

(B) The method of apportioning delegates and alternates to the state convention to each county;

 

(C) The method of selecting delegates and alternates to the national convention;

 

(D) The name, powers and duties of any standing committee of the state central committee and the state convention;

 

(E) Rules of conduct for county and state conventions;

 

(F) Powers and duties delegated to county and state committees.

 

(vi) To conduct such other business as it deems necessary or proper.

 

22-4-119. Certification and filing of rules and bylaws.

 

(a) The county party chairman and party secretary shall certify all rules and bylaws promulgated, revoked or amended by the county central committee and file them with the county clerk within thirty (30) days after the adjournment of the county central committee meeting.

 

(b) The state party chairman and party secretary shall certify all rules and bylaws promulgated, revoked or amended by the state convention and file them with the secretary of state within thirty (30) days after the adjournment of the state convention.

 

22-4-120. Certification of presidential elector nominees and party officers.

 

The state party chairman and party secretary shall certify the names of nominees for presidential electors and the names of the state and county party officers elected or appointed to the secretary of state immediately after their selection.

 

ARTICLE 2 - FORMATION

 

22-4-201. Renumbered by Laws 1991, ch. 243, 3.

 

22-4-202. Renumbered by Laws 1991, ch. 243, 4.

 

22-4-203. Renumbered by Laws 1991, ch. 243, 4.

 

22-4-204. Renumbered by Laws 1991, ch. 243, 4.

 

22-4-205. Repealed by Laws 1991, ch. 243, 5.

 

22-4-206. Repealed by Laws 1991, ch. 243, 5.

 

22-4-207. Repealed by Laws 1991, ch. 243, 5.

 

22-4-208. Repealed by Laws 1991, ch. 243, 5.

 

ARTICLE 3 - MINOR POLITICAL PARTIES

 

22-4-301. Application of article.

 

This article is applicable only to minor political parties.

 

22-4-302. Composition and qualifications of minor party offices.

 

Each minor party shall provide for a sufficient number of officers to govern the party and shall have at least a state party chairman and a state party secretary. Each officer shall be a registered elector in the party. Officers shall be elected or appointed in accordance with party rules and bylaws.

 

22-4-303. Nomination of candidates.

 

Minor parties may nominate candidates to be placed on the general election ballot only by party convention. Under no circumstances shall a minor political party nominate by the primary election process.

 

22-4-304. Certification of candidates; fees.

 

(a) The chairman and secretary of the state political convention shall certify to the secretary of state the names of its party's nominees for United States senator, United States representative, all elective state offices, legislative offices and office of district attorney.

 

(b) The chairman and secretary of the state or county political convention shall certify to the county clerk the names of its party's nominees for elected county offices.

 

(c) The names certified to the secretary of state or the county clerk shall be filed no later than the day before the primary election.

 

(d) Persons certified as nominees shall be members of that party, as shown by their affidavits of registration, at the time their names are certified to the secretary of state or the county clerk.

 

(e) Each certification made under this section shall be accompanied by the same application and fee required for the same office of a candidate seeking nomination by primary election. A certification not accompanied by the application and fee is not valid.

 

22-4-305. Certification and filing of rules and bylaws.

 

The state party chairman and state party secretary shall certify all rules and bylaws promulgated, revoked or amended by the state convention and file them with the secretary of state within thirty (30) days after the adjournment of the state convention.

 

22-4-306. Certification of presidential elector nominees and party officers.

 

The state party chairman and state party secretary shall certify the names of nominees for presidential electors and the name of the state and county party officers elected to the secretary of state immediately after the state convention.

 

22-4-307. Calling of state convention, contents of notice.

 

The state chairman shall call a state convention by filing notice in the office of the secretary of state and of each county clerk not later than twenty (20) days before the convention. The notice shall state the eligibility requirements for voting at the convention.

 

ARTICLE 4 - FORMATION OF NEW PROVISIONAL PARTIES

 

22-4-401. Application of article.

 

This article is applicable only to provisional parties.

 

22-4-402. Petition; form; validity.

 

(a) Any group of persons desiring to form a new political party within this state shall file a petition with the secretary of state not later than June 1 in any general election year in which the party seeks to qualify for the general election ballot.

 

(b) The petition shall be approved by the secretary of state prior to circulation and shall conform in substance to the following:

 

PETITION FOR FORMATION

 

OF A POLITICAL PARTY

 

I know the contents of this petition including the names of the provisional party officers and request that the ________ party be printed on the ballot for the next general election. I am a registered elector for the next primary and general election. (This statement shall appear at the head of each petition page.)

 

PROVISIONAL PARTY OFFICERS

 

NAME ADDRESS

 

CHAIRPERSON __________________________________________

 

TREASURER __________________________________________

 

PETITIONERS

 

(Signature) (Printed Name) (Residence) (Date)

 

1. ___________________________________________________

 

2. ___________________________________________________

 

VERIFICATION BY CIRCULATORS

 

I, ...., do hereby certify that I am a circulator of this petition, and I solely and personally circulated this petition, that all the signatures appearing herein were made in my presence from ....(month) ....(day), ....(year) through ....(month) ....(day), ....(year), and to the best of my knowledge and belief such signatures are those of the persons whose names they purport to be.

 

.... (signature)

 

.... (residence address)

 

(c) The name of the party printed on the petition shall consist of not more than two (2) words and shall not be identical to, nor similar to, the name of any existing qualified political party as determined by the secretary of state, nor to the word "independent".

 

(d) To be valid, a petition shall contain the names and signatures of registered electors equal in number to not less than two percent (2%) of the total number of votes cast for the office of United States house of representative in the last general election.

 

(e) The petition shall be circulated no earlier than April 1 of the year preceding the general election.

 

22-4-403. Circulation of petition; requirements.

 

Copies of the petition may be circulated for signatures, but each separate page shall contain the information required to be contained in the original petition. An elector signing the petition shall also list his name, residence and the date after his signature, as provided on the petition form in W.S. 22-4-402(b).

 

22-4-404. Repealed by Laws 2002, Ch. 11, 1.

 

22-4-405. Verification of signatures on petition.

 

The secretary of state shall determine from the official list of registered electors whether sufficient valid signatures have been obtained on petitions filed with the secretary of state's office.

 

22-4-406. Officers and nominating procedures.

 

A provisional party shall be subject to W.S. 22-4-302 through 22-4-307. Under no circumstances shall a provisional party nominate by the primary election process.