A bill introduced in the Wyoming House would make significant changes to the requirements independent candidates must meet to appear on the general election ballot, including increasing the number of signatures needed to qualify and moving up the filing deadline.
House Bill 0054 was introduced in the Wyoming House on January 22, 2026, after being prefiled, and would amend multiple sections of state election law governing independent candidates for partisan public office. The legislation was sponsored by the Joint Corporations, Elections, and Political Subdivisions Interim Committee, a 14-member panel composed primarily of Republican lawmakers. The committee is currently chaired by Republican Sen. Cale Case of Senate District 25 and Republican Rep. Christopher Knapp of House District 53.
The proposed legislation would require independent candidates to swear under oath that they are unaffiliated voters or not registered with a major or minor political party, with the new language added directly to the state’s independent candidate nomination paperwork. The bill would also raise the number of signatures independent candidates must collect in order to qualify for the general election ballot.
Under current law, candidates must collect signatures equal to two percent of the total vote for their respective office from the previous general election to qualify. The bill would more than double that threshold to five percent, applying to statewide, countywide, and district offices. In those districts where boundaries have changed since the last election, the signature total would be based on five percent of registered voters within the new district lines.
In addition, the bill would revise the filing process for independent petitions, requiring candidates to obtain approval to circulate their petitions and file them no later than 81 days before the general election, compared with 70 days under current law. The bill would also limit filing petitions with the appropriate office to a 14-day period following approval.
If enacted into law, the bill would take effect immediately. As of February 2, it remains pending before the Wyoming Legislature.
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