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Wyoming state legislative Republican primaries, 2018
- 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.
| 2018 Wyoming State Legislature elections | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General | November 6, 2018 |
| Primary | August 21, 2018 |
| 2018 elections | |
|---|---|
| Choose a chamber below: | |
The Republican primary elections for the seats in the Wyoming State Senate and the Wyoming House of Representatives were on August 21, 2018. For information about the Democratic primary elections in Wyoming, click here.
The general election was on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was June 1, 2018. In the state Senate, 15 of 30 seats were up for election. In the state House, all 60 seats were up for election.
Incumbents who did not advance to the general election
Retiring incumbents
Six state House Republicans did not seek re-election in 2018.
- Cheri Steinmetz (District 5)
- Lars Lone (District 12)
- Scott Court (District 24)
- Nathan Winters (District 28)
- Mike Madden (District 40)
- Bo Biteman (District 51)
Three state Senate Republicans did not seek re-election in 2018.
- Fred Emerich (District 5)
- Leland Christensen (District 17)
- Bruce Burns (District 21)
Incumbents defeated
Three state Senate Republicans were defeated in 2018.
- Fred Emerich (District 5)
- Wendy Davis Schuler (District 15)
- Ray Peterson (District 19)
Competitiveness
| Year | Total seats | Open seats | Total candidates | Democratic primaries contested | Republican primaries contested | Total contested | Incumbents contested in primaries | Total incumbents contested in primaries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 75 | 11 | 138 | 2 | 26 | 18.7% | 17 | 26.6% |
| 2016 | 75 | 19 | 183 | 3 | 35 | 25.3% | 20 | 35.7% |
| 2014 | 75 | 11 | 143 | 3 | 33 | 24.0% | 27 | 42.2% |
Partisan control
The tables below show the partisan breakdowns of the Wyoming House of Representatives and the Wyoming State Senate as of August 2018:
Wyoming House of Representatives
| Party | As of August 2018 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 9 | |
| Republican Party | 51 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 60 | |
Wyoming State Senate
| Party | As of October 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 3 | |
| Republican Party | 27 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 30 | |
Battleground races
Ballotpedia identified battleground races in the 2018 Wyoming state legislative Republican primary elections. These primaries had the potential to be more competitive than other races and could have led to changes in the membership of the Republican caucus or had an impact on general election races.
To determine the Wyoming state legislative Republican primary battleground races in 2018, Ballotpedia examined races that fit one or more of the three factors listed below:
- Identified by the media as a notable primary election.
- One or more of the candidates received a notable endorsement.
- The primary was known to be competitive based on past results or because it was a rematch of a primary that was competitive in the past.
Media coverage
This section provides an overview of media reactions to the Wyoming state legislative Republican primaries.[1] Selected articles are presented as a jumping-off point for deeper exploration of media coverage and as an overview of narratives that have emerged surrounding the elections.
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.[3][9]
The following list of accepted ID was current as of October 2025. Click here for the Wyoming Secretary of State's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.
| “ |
*Medicare and Medicaid insurance cards will no longer be an acceptable form of identification for voting purposes after December 31st, 2029.[10] |
” |
Voters without ID can obtain a free Wyoming identification card from their local Driver Services office.[11]
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.[12]
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.[12]
See also
- Wyoming state legislative Democratic primaries, 2018
- Wyoming House of Representatives elections, 2018
- Wyoming State Senate elections, 2018
- Wyoming State Legislature
- Wyoming elections, 2018
Footnotes
- ↑ In selecting articles for inclusion in this section, Ballotpedia has drawn from a variety of sources and viewpoints to identify articles that are representative of broader trends in media coverage.
- ↑ 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 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 October 9, 2025
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Wyoming Secretary of State, "Wyoming's Voter ID Law," accessed October 9, 2025
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Wyoming Secretary of State, "Absentee Voting Information," accessed June 2, 2025
