Wyoming Litigation Case Page
Case Overview
Case: Independent Voters v. Wyoming
Court: Wyoming District Court
Filed: 2025
Status: Active
In 2025, Wyoming enacted a “crossover voting ban” that further entrenched its closed primary system. Independent voters and democracy advocates, with the support of Open Primaries, filed a legal challenge arguing that the ban disenfranchises independents and undermines free and fair elections.
Wyoming’s primaries already excluded independent voters; this new law makes participation even more restrictive.
Why It Matters
- The crossover voting ban eliminates one of the few ways independents could influence elections in Wyoming.
- Wyoming has some of the least competitive elections in the nation. Closed primaries guarantee that small groups of party insiders decide outcomes.
- Litigation is critical to defending voter rights in states where legislatures are making the system even more exclusionary.
Timeline
- 2025: Complaint filed challenging the crossover voting ban.
- 2025-26: State responses and hearings.
- Next Steps: Case proceeding in Wyoming District Court.
Resources
- Case filings (PDFs coming soon)
- Press coverage linked above