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STATE OF WYOMING
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HOUSE BILL NO. HB0176
Vacancies in public office-amendments.
Sponsored by: Representative(s) Bratten, Angelos, Kelly,
Locke, Neiman, Pendergraft and Webb and
Senator(s) Biteman
A BILL
for
1 AN ACT relating to elections; amending the process by which
2 vacancies in elected offices are filled; providing for the
3 filling of vacancies when vacancies are not filled;
4 establishing a presumption concerning qualifications to
5 hold office; making conforming amendments; repealing
6 conflicting provisions; and providing for an effective
7 date.
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11. W.S. 18-3-524(a) by creating a new
12 paragraph (iii) and 22-18-111(a) by creating a new
13 paragraph (vii) and (c)(ii) are amended to read:
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2 (a) Within twenty (20) days after the office of any
3 county commissioner becomes vacant the remaining members of
4 the board shall declare a vacancy to exist and immediately
5 give notice of the vacancy in writing to the chairman of
6 the county central committee of the political party which
7 the member whose office is vacant represented at the time
8 of his election under W.S. 22-6-120(a)(vii), or at the time
9 of his appointment if not elected to office. The chairman
10 of the county central committee shall within twenty (20)
11 days after receipt of the notice call a meeting of the
12 county central committee. At the meeting the committee
13 shall select three (3) persons qualified to fill the
14 vacancy and transmit the names to the board of county
15 commissioners. The board of county commissioners shall fill
16 the vacancy within twenty (20) days after receiving the
17 list from the county central committee by appointing one
18 (1) of the persons whose names are submitted by the county
19 central committee:
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22 (a) Any vacancy in any other elective office in the
23 state except representative in congress or the board of 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-0536
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1 trustees of a school or community college district, shall
2 be filled by the governing body, or as otherwise provided
3 in this section, by appointment of a temporary successor.
4 The person appointed shall serve until a successor for the
5 remainder of the unexpired term is elected at the next
6 general election and takes office on the first Monday of
7 the following January. Provided, if a vacancy in a four
8 (4) year term of office occurs in the term's second or
9 subsequent years after the first day for filing an
10 application for nomination pursuant to W.S. 22-5-209, no
11 election to fill the vacancy shall be held and the
12 temporary successor appointed shall serve the remainder of
13 the unexpired term. The following apply:
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20 (c) For purposes of this section:
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22 (ii) "Qualified to hold the office" means a
23 person meets all applicable qualifications to be elected to 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-0536
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1 a public office which are set forth in the United States
2 and Wyoming constitutions and Wyoming law, as applicable,
3 on the date of the person's appointment to the public
4 office.
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9W.S. 18-3-524(b) and 22-18-111(a)(vi) are
10 repealed.
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12. This act is effective July 1, 2025
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14 (END)