HB0236

Converts specified county elected offices to nonpartisan positions and establishes procedures for nonpartisan nomination, election, and ballot placement of candidates for these offices.

• Designates the following county offices as nonpartisan: county clerk, county treasurer, county assessor, county coroner, sheriff, county and prosecuting attorney, district attorney, and clerk of the district court. (W.S. 5-3-201, W.S. 7-4-101, W.S. 9-1-801, W.S. 18-3-101(a))
• Requires candidates for the eight nonpartisan county offices to be nominated only through nonpartisan primary elections. (W.S. 22-5-203(c))
• Establishes that nonpartisan primary candidates equal in number to two times the number of positions to be elected advance to the general election ballot, with write-in candidates requiring at least 25 votes in the primary. (W.S. 22-5-215(b))
• Modifies the vacancy-filling procedure for nonpartisan county offices so that if the previous incumbent did not represent a political party, the county commissioners publish notice and accept applications from qualified persons, then appoint one from those applicants. (W.S. 22-18-111(a)(ii), W.S. 22-18-111(a)(vi))
• Establishes the order of offices on nonpartisan ballots, placing nonpartisan county offices (clerk, treasurer, assessor, coroner, sheriff, county and prosecuting attorney, district attorney, and clerk of the district court) before municipal offices and other contests. (W.S. 22-6-125(a))
• Prescribes the form and layout of official nonpartisan general election ballots, including header format, county name, date, office groupings, ballot propositions, write-in candidate lines, and voting squares. (W.S. 22-6-126(c))
• Updates the partisan election ballot order to list county commissioner, coroner, district attorney, county attorney, sheriff, clerk, treasurer, assessor, and clerk of the district court as county offices. (W.S. 22-6-117(a)(ix))
• Makes conforming amendments to statutes governing candidate certification, petition requirements, and ballot proposition ordering to reflect the nonpartisan status of the affected offices.