Recently, Secretary of State Chuck Gray made dishonest claims about elections and about the Equality State Policy Center (ESPC), which I co-founded over 30 years ago.
Like the Wyoming people it represents, the ESPC, as an organization, values honesty and transparency, which Secretary Gray’s recent unhinged name-calling does not reflect. Nor does his blatant lack of impartiality inspire confidence in his commitment to trustworthy oversight of elections.
What is the ESPC, and what does it do? The ESPC was founded in 1993 by a coalition of Wyoming organizations seeking to make state government more accessible and accountable to our state’s residents. We believed then — and very much still do today — that our government should answer to the people of this state, not out-of-state interest groups.The ESPC’s accomplishments are too many to list here, but include: successful advocacy for lobbyist reporting; financial reporting by candidates; and improvements to open meetings and public records laws. The ESPC holds a well-earned reputation for the accuracy of the information it provides to elected officials and the general public.
The ESPC also has opened up state government by holding workshops to teach citizens how to engage with elected officials and regulators while advocating for their communities and the issues they care about.
And for those ready to take the next step, the ESPC has empowered Wyomingites to run for office by providing nonpartisan educational resources, and has worked alongside historically underrepresented communities to actively participate in the democratic process.
Long before Secretary Gray arrived in Wyoming, the ESPC was advocating for transparent government and election integrity in the Equality State. The ESPC has never been shy about wading into controversy — even when we’re working hard to make things better, some special interest has a stake in resisting change — but Secretary Gray has reached a new low in name-calling and unfounded accusations.
The ESPC has opposed Secretary Gray’s politically motivated efforts to discourage voting precisely because his policies and tactics are intended to discourage voting.
Wyoming law already requires proof of citizenship to register to vote, and then a specified form of a photo ID at the polling place to confirm that the voter is the registered individual. It’s difficult to see how this system could go wrong and, in fact, it hasn’t.The ESPC has confidence in Wyoming’s elected county clerks (who are overwhelmingly Republican) and believes their staffs are competent and conscientious. So are the Republican, Democratic and unaffiliated Wyomingites who volunteer to staff our state’s polling places.
It should bother Secretary Gray that under his watch, fewer eligible voters exercised their right to vote. In fact, 2024 primary voter turnout was down by nearly a third from the 2022 primary election, and by over 10% from the 2020 primary. Only 27% of Wyomingites eligible to vote cast a ballot in the primary election in August.
I served as an election judge last month. Some voters still are having trouble remembering to bring their photo ID, let alone the additional documentation Secretary Gray would like to burden voters with.
He has yet to explain to the public why undocumented individuals would want to call attention to themselves by attempting to vote. Were I in that situation, I certainly wouldn’t be going out of my way to provide my personal information, particularly my address, to a government office.
Since there is zero evidence that our current system isn’t working, Secretary Gray’s proposals for further voting restrictions under the false flag of “election integrity” only serve to deter legitimate participation by Wyoming residents. It’s disappointing and unworthy of his office.