A Wyoming Senate Committee has started working on a bill that could change the way the state conducts primary elections. Sheridan Senator Bo Biteman is proposing a runoff election when the winner of a primary doesn't acquire more than 50 percent of the vote. He noted that this frequently happens in the Republican primary where there are multiple candidates.
"This bill will make voters feel more confident in the election process and will provide the winner with a mandate," said Biteman, "something that has been lacking at times when you can actually have a winner who has opponents who collectively have more votes than the winner."
Biteman's bill would move the primary to May with the runoff planned for the third Tuesday in August. The Secretary of State's office said there would be increased costs for counties and the state. The plan is for the changes to be implemented in 2022.
