Wyoming Secretary of State election, 2018 (August 21 Republican primary)
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 22
- Early voting: Sept. 27 - Nov. 5
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6
- Online registration: No
- Same-day registration: Yes
- Voter ID: No
- Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
2022 →
← 2014
|
| Wyoming Secretary of State |
|---|
 |
| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: June 1, 2018 |
| Primary: August 21, 2018 General: November 6, 2018 Pre-election incumbent(s): Edward Buchanan (Republican) |
| How to vote |
| Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voting in Wyoming |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2018 Impact of term limits in 2018 State government trifectas State government triplexes Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018 |
| Wyoming executive elections |
| Governor Secretary of State |
A Republican Party primary election took place on August 21, 2018, in Wyoming to determine which candidate would run as the party's nominee in the state's November 6, 2018, secretary of state election.
For more information about secretary of state elections in 2018, click here.
| SETTING THE STAGE | |
Candidates and election results
Incumbent Edward Buchanan advanced from the Republican primary for Wyoming Secretary of State on August 21, 2018.
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Wyoming Secretary of State
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Edward Buchanan | 100.0 | 94,603 |
| Total votes: 94,603 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Context of the 2018 election
Past elections
2014
In the 2014 Republican primary, Ed Murray defeated Edward Buchanan, Pete Illoway, and Clark Stith by a 1.9 percent margin.[1]
| Wyoming Secretary of State Republican Primary, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
 Ed Murrary |
36.8% | 32,944 | ||
| Edward Buchanan | 34.9% | 31,312 | ||
| Pete Illoway | 18.5% | 16,596 | ||
| Clark Stith | 9.5% | 8,511 | ||
| Write-in votes | 0.3% | 274 | ||
| Total Votes | 89,637 | |||
| Election results via Wyoming Secretary of State. | ||||
Voter information
How the primary works
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Wyoming utilizes a closed primary process.[2][3]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Poll times
In Wyoming, all polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mountain Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[4]
Registration requirements
- Check your voter information here.
To vote in Wyoming, one must be a United States citizen, a resident of Wyoming, at least 18 years of age, not have been declared mentally incompetent by a court, and not convicted of a felony unless pardoned or otherwise had their rights restored.[5][6]
The registration deadline is 14 days before the election, but voters may also register and vote on the same day during the absentee voting period or on election day. There are three ways to register to vote in Wyoming: in person at the office of the county or town clerk, by mail the by submitting a completed application form to the county clerk, or at the polls on Election Day. A voter must provide documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote.[5][3]
Automatic registration
Wyoming does not practice automatic voter registration.[7]
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
Wyoming does not permit online voter registration.[7]
Same-day registration
Wyoming allows same-day voter registration.[3]
Residency requirements
To register to vote in Wyoming, a voter must be a resident of a precinct in the state for not less than 30 days before the election.[3][8]
Verification of citizenship
Wyoming requires voters to provide proof of citizenship. Eligible documents are state and tribal IDs that do not indicate the individual is not a U.S. citizen, passports, certificates of citizenship or naturalization, a selective service registration acknowledgement card, documentation of a birth abroad issued by the State Department, or an original or certified copy of a birth certificate.[3][6]
Voter ID requirements
Wyoming requires voters to present identification when voting. Generally, voters are required to present a photo ID, but there are two exceptions to that requirement that expire in 2029.
The following list of accepted ID was current as of June 2025. Click here for the Wyoming Secretary of State's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.[3][9]
| “ |
*Medicare and Medicaid insurance cards will no longer be an acceptable form of identification for voting purposes after December 31st, 2029.[10] |
” |
Early voting
Wyoming permits early voting. Learn more by contacting the appropriate county clerk.
Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.
Absentee voting
All voters are eligible to vote absentee in Wyoming. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.[11]
No specific deadline is noted for absentee ballot applications. A completed absentee ballot must be received by election officials by 7 p.m. on Election Day.[11]
State overview
Partisan control
This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Wyoming heading into the 2018 elections.
Congressional delegation
- Following the 2014 elections, Republicans held both U.S. Senate seats in Wyoming.
- Republicans held the state's at-large U.S. House seat.
State executives
- As of September 2018, Republicans held six of seven state executive positions, with the remaining position held by a nonpartisan official.
- The governor of Wyoming was Republican Matt Mead. The state held an election for governor on November 6, 2018.
State legislature
- Republicans controlled both chambers of the Wyoming State Legislature. They had a 51-9 majority in the state House and a 27-3 majority in the state Senate.
Trifecta status
- Wyoming was under Republican trifecta control. Matt Mead (R) served as governor, while Republicans controlled the state legislature.
2018 elections
- See also: Wyoming elections, 2018
Wyoming held elections for the following positions in 2018:
- One seat in the U.S. Senate
- One seat in the U.S. House
- Governor
- Four other state executive offices
- Fifteen out of 30 state Senate seats
- All 60 state House seats
Demographics
| Demographic data for Wyoming | ||
|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 586,555 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 97,093 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 91% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 1.1% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 0.9% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 2.2% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.7% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 9.6% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 92.3% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 25.7% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $58,840 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 12.7% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Wyoming. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
As of July 2017, Wyoming's three largest cities were Cheyenne (pop. est. 64,000), Casper (pop. est. 58,000), and Laramie (pop. est. 32,000).[12]
State election history
This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Wyoming from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the Wyoming Secretary of State.
Historical elections
Presidential elections, 2000-2016
| Election results (President of the United States), Wyoming 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
| 2016 |  Donald Trump |
68.2% |  Hillary Clinton |
21.9% | 46.3% |
| 2012 | Mitt Romney |
68.6% | Barack Obama |
27.8% | 40.8% |
| 2008 | John McCain |
64.8% | Barack Obama |
32.5% | 32.3% |
| 2004 | George W. Bush |
68.9% | John Kerry |
29.1% | 39.8% |
| 2000 | George W. Bush |
67.8% | Al Gore |
27.7% | 40.1% |
U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016
This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Wyoming from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.
| Election results (U.S. Senator), Wyoming 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
| 2014 | Mike Enzi |
72.2% | Charlie Hardy |
17.5% | 54.7% |
| 2012 | John Barasso |
75.9% | Tim Chesnut |
21.6% | 54.3% |
| 2008 | Mike Enzi |
75.6% | Chris Rothfuss |
24.3% | 51.3% |
| 2008 (special election) | John Barasso |
73.4% | Nick Carter |
26.5% | 46.9% |
| 2006 | Craig Thomas |
70.0% | Dale Groutage |
29.9% | 40.1% |
| 2002 | Mike Enzi |
73.0% | Joyce Corcoran |
27.0% | 46.0% |
| 2000 | Craig Thomas |
73.8% | Mel Logan |
22.0% | 51.8% |
Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016
This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Wyoming.
| Election results (U.S. Senator), Wyoming 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
| 2014 | Matt Mead |
58.3% | Pete Gosar |
26.7% | 31.6% |
| 2010 | Matt Mead |
65.7% | Leslie Petersen |
22.9% | 42.8% |
| 2006 | Dave Freudenthal |
70.0% | Ray Hunkins |
30.0% | 40.0% |
| 2002 | Dave Freudenthal |
47.9% | Eli Bebout |
47.9% | 2.1% |
Congressional delegation, 2000-2016
This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Wyoming in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.
| Congressional delegation, Wyoming 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Republicans | Republicans (%) | Democrats | Democrats (%) | Balance of power |
| 2016 | 1 |
100% | 0 |
0.0% | R+1 |
| 2014 | 1 |
100% | 0 |
0.0% | R+1 |
| 2012 | 1 |
100% | 0 |
0.0% | R+1 |
| 2010 | 1 |
100% | 0 |
0.0% | R+1 |
| 2008 | 1 |
100% | 0 |
0.0% | R+1 |
| 2006 | 1 |
100% | 0 |
0.0% | R+1 |
| 2004 | 1 |
100% | 0 |
0.0% | R+1 |
| 2002 | 1 |
100% | 0 |
0.0% | R+1 |
| 2000 | 1 |
100% | 0 |
0.0% | R+1 |
Trifectas, 1992-2017
A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.
Wyoming Party Control: 1992-2024
No Democratic trifectas • Twenty-two years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Pivot Counties
- See also: Pivot Counties by state
There are no Pivot Counties in Wyoming. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.
In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Wyoming with 68.2 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 21.9 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Wyoming cast votes for the winning presidential candidate 76.7 percent of the time. In that same time frame, Wyoming supported Republican candidates more often than Democratic candidates, 76.7 to 23.3 percent. The state favored Republicans in every presidential election between 2000 and 2016.
Presidential results by legislative district
The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Wyoming. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[13][14]
| In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won five out of 60 state House districts in Wyoming with an average margin of victory of 13.7 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won three out of 60 state House districts in Wyoming with an average margin of victory of 24.1 points. |
| In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 55 out of 60 state House districts in Wyoming with an average margin of victory of 45 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 57 out of 60 state House districts in Wyoming with an average margin of victory of 51 points. Trump won seven districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections. |
| 2016 presidential results by state House district | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Obama | Romney | 2012 Margin | Clinton | Trump | 2016 Margin | Party Control |
| 1 | 11.24% | 85.71% | R+74.5 | 7.27% | 88.99% | R+81.7 | R |
| 2 | 17.60% | 79.70% | R+62.1 | 10.91% | 83.36% | R+72.4 | R |
| 3 | 11.12% | 87.05% | R+75.9 | 6.49% | 89.45% | R+83 | R |
| 4 | 26.05% | 70.84% | R+44.8 | 15.61% | 77.84% | R+62.2 | R |
| 5 | 26.26% | 71.59% | R+45.3 | 16.74% | 76.88% | R+60.1 | R |
| 6 | 16.26% | 81.21% | R+65 | 9.43% | 85.01% | R+75.6 | R |
| 7 | 28.36% | 70.01% | R+41.7 | 24.27% | 68.70% | R+44.4 | R |
| 8 | 40.42% | 57.13% | R+16.7 | 37.19% | 54.48% | R+17.3 | R |
| 9 | 38.23% | 59.50% | R+21.3 | 31.57% | 58.11% | R+26.5 | R |
| 10 | 21.27% | 76.44% | R+55.2 | 14.79% | 78.21% | R+63.4 | R |
| 11 | 43.72% | 52.36% | R+8.6 | 34.85% | 55.04% | R+20.2 | R |
| 12 | 41.35% | 55.47% | R+14.1 | 27.83% | 62.31% | R+34.5 | R |
| 13 | 52.91% | 41.43% | D+11.5 | 49.03% | 37.02% | D+12 | D |
| 14 | 41.85% | 53.44% | R+11.6 | 40.33% | 48.15% | R+7.8 | R |
| 15 | 41.25% | 56.03% | R+14.8 | 25.40% | 64.63% | R+39.2 | R |
| 16 | 62.92% | 34.31% | D+28.6 | 66.35% | 25.25% | D+41.1 | D |
| 17 | 33.59% | 62.81% | R+29.2 | 21.53% | 70.03% | R+48.5 | D |
| 18 | 19.74% | 77.99% | R+58.3 | 13.08% | 80.74% | R+67.7 | R |
| 19 | 16.63% | 80.47% | R+63.8 | 11.41% | 80.74% | R+69.3 | R |
| 20 | 17.23% | 80.53% | R+63.3 | 14.51% | 79.68% | R+65.2 | R |
| 21 | 6.92% | 92.19% | R+85.3 | 7.49% | 86.40% | R+78.9 | R |
| 22 | 35.46% | 62.06% | R+26.6 | 35.90% | 57.66% | R+21.8 | R |
| 23 | 48.80% | 48.93% | R+0.1 | 55.89% | 36.72% | D+19.2 | D |
| 24 | 22.73% | 75.27% | R+52.5 | 19.89% | 73.40% | R+53.5 | R |
| 25 | 22.09% | 75.00% | R+52.9 | 18.81% | 73.50% | R+54.7 | R |
| 26 | 16.97% | 80.82% | R+63.9 | 12.21% | 79.51% | R+67.3 | R |
| 27 | 19.91% | 77.45% | R+57.5 | 14.13% | 78.83% | R+64.7 | R |
| 28 | 18.23% | 78.86% | R+60.6 | 13.32% | 79.44% | R+66.1 | R |
| 29 | 28.95% | 68.57% | R+39.6 | 22.80% | 67.97% | R+45.2 | R |
| 30 | 24.51% | 72.88% | R+48.4 | 19.19% | 74.01% | R+54.8 | R |
| 31 | 12.18% | 85.70% | R+73.5 | 6.28% | 88.41% | R+82.1 | R |
| 32 | 14.58% | 83.77% | R+69.2 | 9.87% | 85.48% | R+75.6 | R |
| 33 | 56.07% | 42.24% | D+13.8 | 43.88% | 48.71% | R+4.8 | R |
| 34 | 16.37% | 81.33% | R+65 | 11.82% | 83.41% | R+71.6 | R |
| 35 | 22.53% | 75.07% | R+52.5 | 17.84% | 76.07% | R+58.2 | R |
| 36 | 31.86% | 64.88% | R+33 | 22.04% | 70.04% | R+48 | D |
| 37 | 25.70% | 72.32% | R+46.6 | 20.84% | 72.35% | R+51.5 | R |
| 38 | 22.15% | 75.32% | R+53.2 | 15.08% | 78.87% | R+63.8 | R |
| 39 | 28.42% | 67.88% | R+39.5 | 19.31% | 72.59% | R+53.3 | D |
| 40 | 17.50% | 79.96% | R+62.5 | 14.40% | 80.28% | R+65.9 | R |
| 41 | 41.35% | 55.66% | R+14.3 | 32.58% | 57.38% | R+24.8 | R |
| 42 | 30.25% | 67.49% | R+37.2 | 26.26% | 65.94% | R+39.7 | R |
| 43 | 38.57% | 58.11% | R+19.5 | 28.50% | 61.55% | R+33.1 | R |
| 44 | 51.90% | 44.70% | D+7.2 | 41.02% | 48.67% | R+7.7 | D |
| 45 | 51.24% | 43.62% | D+7.6 | 43.54% | 43.68% | R+0.1 | D |
| 46 | 41.79% | 54.50% | R+12.7 | 37.67% | 52.51% | R+14.8 | R |
| 47 | 21.31% | 75.47% | R+54.2 | 13.82% | 80.13% | R+66.3 | R |
| 48 | 30.34% | 66.16% | R+35.8 | 21.53% | 71.35% | R+49.8 | R |
| 49 | 22.81% | 74.97% | R+52.2 | 18.99% | 71.40% | R+52.4 | R |
| 50 | 16.74% | 81.25% | R+64.5 | 14.54% | 79.22% | R+64.7 | R |
| 51 | 24.13% | 73.76% | R+49.6 | 20.67% | 73.60% | R+52.9 | R |
| 52 | 10.61% | 87.04% | R+76.4 | 5.97% | 89.88% | R+83.9 | R |
| 53 | 16.85% | 80.53% | R+63.7 | 10.18% | 84.03% | R+73.8 | R |
| 54 | 36.87% | 60.26% | R+23.4 | 33.60% | 57.34% | R+23.7 | R |
| 55 | 24.77% | 72.52% | R+47.8 | 18.63% | 74.01% | R+55.4 | R |
| 56 | 34.31% | 61.96% | R+27.6 | 26.93% | 64.03% | R+37.1 | R |
| 57 | 32.45% | 63.83% | R+31.4 | 24.54% | 66.50% | R+42 | R |
| 58 | 23.70% | 73.45% | R+49.8 | 13.62% | 79.63% | R+66 | R |
| 59 | 33.92% | 61.68% | R+27.8 | 21.68% | 69.96% | R+48.3 | R |
| 60 | 30.10% | 66.75% | R+36.6 | 21.45% | 69.85% | R+48.4 | D |
| Total | 28.05% | 69.21% | R+41.2 | 22.48% | 70.06% | R+47.6 | - |
| Source: Daily Kos | |||||||
See also
|
Wyoming government: |
Elections: |
Ballotpedia exclusives: |
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Wyoming Secretary of State, "Statewide Candidates Official Summary - Wyoming Primary Election, August 19, 2014," accessed September 26, 2017
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed October 7, 2024
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Wyoming Secretary of State, "Welcome to the FAQs," accessed June 2, 2025 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "faq" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid<ref>tag; name "faq" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Wyoming Secretary of State, "Election Frequently Asked Questions, General Voting information," accessed May 30, 2025
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Wyoming Secretary of State, "Voting," accessed May 30, 2025
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Wyoming Legislature, "Legislation 2025, HB0156 - Proof of voter residency-registration qualifications." accessed May 28, 2025
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 NCSL, "State Profiles: Elections," accessed May 30, 2025
- ↑ Wyoming Legislature, "Legislation 2025, HB0156 - Proof of voter residency-registration qualifications." accessed May 28, 2025
- ↑ Wyoming Legislature, "HB0075 - Voter identification," accessed May 2, 2023
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Wyoming Secretary of State, "Absentee Voting Information," accessed June 2, 2025
- ↑ Wyoming Demographics by Cubit, "Wyoming Cities by Population," accessed September 6, 2018
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
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