Secretary of State Chuck Gray is recommending the removal of the Weston County clerk from her role over issues with misprinted ballots in last year’s election.
In a press conference on March 10, Gray said his investigation found that Weston County Clerk Becky Hadlock’s oversight of the November general election amounted to misconduct.
“I recommend the governor direct the attorney general to commence removal proceedings in district court,” Gray said in the Capitol rotunda.
In addition to covering the Weston County dispute, Gray used the gathering at the Capitol to advocate for a slate of bills overhauling the state’s election processes, some of which died during the Legislature's recent general session. He’s been a supporter of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus since the state-level group’s creation.
Ballot misprints
The controversy in central Wyoming began after Hadlock printed two batches of incorrect ballots.
Some of those versions made their way to voters, leading to miscounts in races like House Speaker Rep. Chip Neiman’s (R-Hulett). Neiman was running unopposed, but ballots initially showed Neiman received 166 votes while 1,289 left that part of the ballot blank. Later, a recount showed that Neiman actually received 1,269 votes.
Gray’s report concluded that Hadlock submitted an erroneous election audit to the State Canvassing Board, which is made up of the governor and other executive branch officials.
“I really only think there's two reasonable explanations, which is: Either she did not conduct the audit at all, or she did conduct the audit and did not report the anomalies that were found,” he said.
Gray emphasized he hopes Gov. Mark Gordon acts quickly to begin removing Hadlock from office, especially after eight Weston County voters sent Gordon a verified complaint regarding the miscounts in December. Several complainants are members of the Weston County GOP.
Next steps
If the governor decides the complaint holds water, criminal charges against Hadlock would be filed by the attorney general in the district court where the alleged misconduct happened.
Gray sent along his office’s report, and the voters’ complaint, to the Weston County attorney and state attorney general for further investigation and possible prosecution.
Hadlock didn’t respond to an interview request from Wyoming Public Radio by press time.
A representative for state Attorney General Bridget Hill told WPR she “does not intend to comment on this matter.”
This reporting was made possible by a grant from the Corporation For Public Broadcasting, supporting state government coverage in the state. Wyoming Public Media and Jackson Hole Community Radio are partnering to cover state issues both on air and online.
