A Wyoming district court judge has upheld two state election laws that restrict crossover voting and prevent defeated primary candidates from appearing on the general election ballot, a ruling state officials hailed as a victory for election integrity while critics warned it limits voter choice.

District Judge Nathaniel Hibben on Thursday granted summary judgment in favor of Secretary of State Chuck Gray, siding with the state in a challenge to Wyoming’s 2023 crossover voting ban and its long-standing “sore loser” law. The decision means both measures remain in effect heading into the 2026 election cycle.

Wyoming’s crossover voting ban, passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Mark Gordon in 2023, requires voters to change their party affiliation before the start of the candidate filing period rather than on primary day. The law was designed to prevent voters from switching parties at the last minute to influence another party’s nomination contests — a practice that had become common in Wyoming, where Republican primaries often decide the outcome of state and local races.

Gray, a Republican who campaigned on strengthening election laws, praised the ruling as validation of his office’s priorities.

“Today’s ruling granting our motion for summary judgment is a huge win for the integrity of Wyoming’s elections,” Gray said in a statement. “Protecting the election process by banning crossover voting has been a key part of our administration’s election integrity agenda. With this ruling, it is confirmed what we, the citizens of Wyoming, knew all along: these laws are constitutional, and pivotal to ensuring election integrity in Wyoming.”

Supporters of the ban, including Gray and several Republican legislators, have argued that it ensures fairer primaries by keeping party nominations in the hands of party members. Critics, however, have said it disenfranchises independent voters and moderates in a state where nearly 80 percent of voters are registered Republicans.

The lawsuit also challenged Wyoming’s “sore loser” statute, which prevents candidates who lose in a party primary from running as independents in the general election. That law, similar to those in many other states, was intended to discourage defeated candidates from prolonging intra-party rivalries into the general election campaign.

Opponents of both laws could appeal Hibben’s ruling to the Wyoming Supreme Court. Legal experts said the decision reflects a broader national trend of states tightening election laws in response to growing partisan divisions and debates over the scope of voter participation in primary elections.

Voters at the Mills Community Center

Gallery Credit: Sam Haut, Townsquaremedia

Natrona County Public Library and Wyoming Game & Fish Serve as Voting Locations

Gallery Credit: Nick Perkins, Townsquare Media