‘There are weaknesses’: Lawmakers push for additional election-security measure on state IDs

Election-fraud schemes that would target national votes wouldn’t be expected to take aim at Wyoming.

It has only a handful of Electoral College votes and rarely are presidential elections decided by that small margin, although it is not impossible.

And it already bars noncitizens from voting in state elections, and even applies the “NR” designator to state IDs of noncitizens.

But now lawmakers are making an effort to ramp up security even more.

They want to add a line “Not A United States Citizen,” to the face of any state ID belonging to a noncitizen.

The Cowboy State Daily explained, “The added emphasis delineating between citizens and noncitizens comes as President-elect Donald Trump has indicated removing immigrants illegally in the United States will be one of his top priorities.”

Further, it pointed out that election integrity is becoming more and more of a focal point for debate.

“Secretary of State Chuck Gray spoke in support of the Wyoming proposal at last Friday’s Joint Transportation, Highways and Military Affairs Committee meeting. He said the new IDs will help ensure voter security and assist Wyoming’s county clerks in identifying non-residents who may be trying to vote,” the report said.

Gray told listeners, “While we do have safeguards in place to ensure that only United States citizens are registering to vote, which is called a HAVA-check, there are a number of areas where there are weaknesses that can be exposed. That’s why we need to continue to shore up this frontend monitoring, which I think this bill draft does.”

Gray’s concern is preventing noncitizens from registering to vote, as while it is not common for illegal aliens to vote, it has happened.

The report noted the County Clerks’ Association of Wyoming also supports the plan that has been forwarded by the state Joint Transportation, Highways and Military Affairs Committee.

State Rep. Landon Brown, R-Cheyenne, co-chair of the committee, doesn’t endorse the idea, pointing out a pending redesign of many state forms. But he believes it will pass.

The plan could go into effect in 2026, shortly before early voting opens for the elections that year.