Wyoming
The hardest initiative math in the West, plus a turnout trap.
Wyoming pairs the easiest candidate filing in the region with what is arguably the toughest initiative in the country. Party candidates need no signatures at all — just an application and a fee. Initiative sponsors need 15 percent of everyone who voted in the last general election, must hit that same 15 percent inside two-thirds of the counties, and then must win more than half of everyone who shows up on election day, not just a majority of votes on the measure. Only one initiative has reached the ballot since 1996.
Signature Requirements
| Office / Measure | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Party candidates (primary ballot) | No signatures. File an application for nomination during the May filing window and pay the fee — roughly $750 for Congress, $300 for statewide executive offices, $100 for legislative and county offices, and $25 for municipal offices. |
| Independent candidates, statewide and federal | 2% of the total votes cast statewide for US Representative at the last general election — 5,263 signatures for 2026. |
| Independent candidates, district offices | The same 2% formula applied to the vote for US Representative within the district or jurisdiction. |
| Independent filing deadline and window | Petition due not less than 70 days before the general election, and signatures may only be gathered during the calendar year of the election. |
| Initiated statute | 15% of the total ballots cast in the preceding general election — 40,669 for the 2025–26 cycle, from 271,123 ballots cast in 2024. |
| County distribution | That 15% must also be met inside at least two-thirds of the counties — 16 of 23. Laramie County alone requires 6,542 and Natrona 5,131. |
| Referendum | Same 15% statewide and 16-county formula; the application and the signatures must both be completed within 90 days of the adjournment of the session that passed the act. |
| Constitutional amendment by initiative | Not available. Amendments originate only in the Legislature, by a two-thirds vote of each house, then go to voters. |
| Passage threshold | An initiative is enacted only if it wins more than 50% of all who voted in that general election — not merely a majority of votes cast on the measure. |
The Application Stage
Sponsors form a three-member committee and submit the measure drafted in full bill form, with a title covering the entire subject and the enacting clause 'Be it enacted by the people of the state of Wyoming,' along with a $500 application fee. The Secretary of State holds a review conference within 14 days, and a conditionally certified application then requires 100 qualified registered voters as sponsors within 30 days. Only after that do official petition sheets issue.
Circulation and the 18-Month Clock
Once petitions are provided, sponsors have 18 months to gather and file. The deadline is hard: a petition not filed within the window loses its qualification entirely. A qualifying measure appears at the first statewide general election held more than 120 days after adjournment of the legislative session, which means a mistimed filing can push a measure a full two years.
Circulators and the Pay Rule
Wyoming circulators must be US citizens at least 18 years old and bona fide Wyoming residents, with 90 days of residency before circulating. Voter registration is not required for initiative circulators. Like Oregon, Wyoming bans per-signature compensation outright, and circulators may not pay or offer to pay anyone for signing. Each circulator files an affidavit affirming the signatures were made in their presence and that they are qualified, and paid circulation must be disclosed on the petition.
The Indirect Step
Wyoming's initiative is indirect. A certified measure is presented to the Legislature, and if substantially the same measure is enacted before the election, the petition is void and the measure never reaches voters. On the other side, an initiated law cannot be vetoed and cannot be repealed by the Legislature for two years after it takes effect, which raises the stakes of the legislative pre-emption move.
Subject Limits
An initiative bill may not contain more than one subject, dedicate revenues, make or repeal appropriations, create courts or define their jurisdiction, enact local or special legislation, or do anything prohibited by the constitution. It also may not be substantially the same as a measure defeated at an initiative election within the previous five years.
Ballot Measures in Wyoming
Wyoming provides an indirect initiative for statutes and a referendum on acts of the Legislature, but no citizen route to amend the constitution. Sponsors file the measure in bill form with a three-member committee and a $500 application fee, then supply 100 qualified-elector sponsors before petitions issue. The threshold is 15% of the total ballots cast at the preceding general election — 40,669 for the 2025–26 cycle — and that same 15% must also be reached inside at least two-thirds of the state's counties, 16 of 23. Sponsors have 18 months to circulate, circulators must be Wyoming residents and cannot be paid by the signature, and a qualifying measure is presented to the Legislature first, becoming void if lawmakers pass substantially the same act. If it does reach the ballot, it passes only with approval from more than 50% of everyone voting in that general election; the 2024 property tax measure was the first Wyoming initiative to qualify since 1996.
What Trips Campaigns Up in Wyoming
We've Worked This Ground
Wyoming Ballot Access FAQ
Do Wyoming candidates need petition signatures?
Only independents. Republican, Democratic and recognized minor-party candidates file an application and pay a fee. Independent candidates must submit signatures equal to 2% of the last statewide vote for US Representative — 5,263 for 2026 — by 70 days before the general election.
Why is Wyoming's initiative considered so difficult?
Three requirements stack: 15% of prior general-election turnout statewide, that same 15% inside 16 of 23 counties, and a passage threshold of more than 50% of everyone who votes in the election. Only one initiative has qualified in the last three decades.
Can we pay circulators per signature?
No. Wyoming prohibits compensation based on the number of signatures gathered and prohibits paying anyone for their signature. Hourly or salaried pay is permitted, and paid circulation must be disclosed on the petition.
Who can circulate an initiative petition in Wyoming?
US citizens at least 18 years old who have been bona fide Wyoming residents for at least 90 days. Voter registration is not required for initiative circulators, though each must sign an affidavit affirming their qualifications.
Running a Campaign in This State?
Signature requirements are the easy part. Hitting them on deadline is the job.