RNC Wants to Join Election-Denying Sec. of State to Defend Wyoming Proof of Citizenship Law

The Republican National Committee (RNC) has entered the legal battle over Wyoming’s new proof of citizenship voting law, filing a motion Thursday to intervene in a federal lawsuit that seeks to block the law from going into effect next month.

This motion aligns the national party with Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray (R), an anti-voting election denier and chief backer of the law.

Gray, the lead defendant in the case, welcomed the RNC’s effort.

“We need all hands on deck to combat radical left-wing DNC attorney Marc Elias’ attacks on any and all conservative election integrity reforms,” Gray told Cowboy State Daily.*

Gray ran unopposed in the 2022 general election after winning a contentious Republican primary and has made his name as a loyal Trump ally and self-proclaimed champion of election security.

Since taking office, Gray has prioritized eliminating ballot drop boxes, tightening voter ID rules and banning so-called “ballot harvesting.” Gray opposed a Republican-led bill last year that would have restricted drop box usage because he said it didn’t go far enough. 

“A key priority of mine is to end the use of ballot drop boxes,” he told lawmakers.

The lawsuit, filed last month by the Equality State Policy Center, argues that the requirement violates the First and 14th Amendments by placing unconstitutional burdens on eligible voters.

The RNC argues it has a right to intervene because the lawsuit threatens its electoral strategy and party infrastructure.

“A ruling in Plaintiff’s favor would do grave damage to the integrity of Wyoming’s election system and to the confidence that Republican voters have in that system,” the filing states.

The RNC dismisses the notion that disenfranchisement is a concern, claiming instead that it’s the perception of noncitizen voting that is the real threat. 

It argues that invalidating the law would force the party “to reinspire Republican voter trust” and disrupt its ability to run effective campaigns.

The plaintiffs are seeking a preliminary injunction to block the law before it can be implemented. They argue that Wyoming — ranked 47th in voter registration — should be working to increase access, not erect barriers. In 2022, just 44.4% of eligible voters turned out.

If the court allows the RNC to intervene, the national GOP will become an official party to a lawsuit that could have sweeping implications for voting access not just in Wyoming, but in any state considering similar restrictions.

*The Elias Law Group (ELG) represents the plaintiffs in the case. ELG Firm Chair Marc Elias is the founder of Democracy Docket.