//Run for office · Wyoming

How to run for local office in Wyoming

Wyoming sells its statewide voter list for $125 and posts a daily absentee file during every voting window, but every city, school, and county seat is on the even-year ballot, so 2027 is a planning year.

Facts checked against official sources · September 9, 2026

Wyoming runs local races on the state calendar. County offices go through the partisan August primary; city and town offices go through a nonpartisan municipal primary held the same day; school and community college trustees skip the primary and appear only on the November general ballot. All of it happens in even-numbered years, so the next regular local elections are August 22 and November 7, 2028.

The Secretary of State handles data and state-level filings. Your county clerk handles almost everything else for a local candidate: the registry list for your county, campaign finance reports for county, municipal, and school offices, and candidate filings for county and school offices. The municipal clerk takes city and town candidate applications.

Election authority: Wyoming Secretary of State, Election Division
Voter file: Available for political and election purposes · From the Secretary of State: statewide file $125, one party $50, one county $35, one legislative district $25, paid by cash or check before delivery (SOS Voter Registry List Request Form, updated 11/2024, checked 2026-09-09). County clerks set their own fees for county requests.
Campaign finance: WYCFIS (Wyoming Campaign Finance Information System) (Wyoming Secretary of State, Election Division (state filers); county clerks (local filers))
How voters vote: In person, with no-excuse mail voting
Registration deadline: Registration closes 14 days before an election (W.S. 22-3-102(a)), but you can still register in person at the clerk's office while casting an absentee ballot during those two weeks, or register and vote at your polling place on election day (SOS 2026 Key Election Dates). Registration requires proof of U.S. citizenship and 30 days of Wyoming residency.
Local offices: County offices and the legislature are partisan and nominated in the August party primary. All municipal offices are nonpartisan by statute (W.S. 22-23-102) and use a nonpartisan primary; school and community college boards are nonpartisan and have no primary.

Who runs elections in Wyoming

Wyoming Secretary of State, Election Division The Election Division publishes the election calendar, sells the statewide voter registry list, generates the Daily Absentee File, runs WYCFIS (the campaign finance system), and takes filings and reports from statewide and legislative candidates. It refers local candidates to the county clerk for data and campaign finance and to the municipal clerk for city and town filings.

Wyoming's 23 county clerks register voters (in person, by mail, and at the polls on election day), issue absentee ballots, keep the Absentee Ballot Record, run polling places, accept candidate applications for county and school board offices, and receive campaign finance reports from county, municipal, and school candidates. Each city and town has a municipal clerk who accepts municipal candidate applications and certifies the names to the county clerk. The SOS posts a directory of county clerks.

Getting the Wyoming voter file

The voter file is the list of every registered voter, with the fields a campaign needs to target: address, party where the state records it, and vote history. In Wyoming it comes from Wyoming Secretary of State, Election Division (statewide); county clerks (county lists).

Access: Available for political and election purposes
Cost: From the Secretary of State: statewide file $125, one party $50, one county $35, one legislative district $25, paid by cash or check before delivery (SOS Voter Registry List Request Form, updated 11/2024, checked 2026-09-09). County clerks set their own fees for county requests.
Format: Delivered by email or Dropbox as a native text (.txt) file plus an Excel file
Vote history: Not included
Phone numbers: Not included
Updated: Exported on request from the live statewide system. During an absentee period the export includes the Daily Absentee File for that date, and the SOS will arrange regularly scheduled exports on request.

Who can get it: Candidates, candidate campaign committees, political party central committees and their officers, elected officials, PACs, individuals promoting or opposing a ballot issue or candidate, and organizations that promote voter participation (W.S. 22-2-113(a)). You sign an oath under penalty of perjury and attach proof that you fit one of those categories.

Permitted use: Political purposes only; commercial use is a misdemeanor under W.S. 22-26-112. You may reproduce the list for political purposes and must tell anyone you share it with about the commercial-use ban.

County option: The SOS form tells county and municipal officials, candidates, committees, PACs, and parties to get the list from the county clerk, who may furnish lists and must do so to all requesters on an equal basis (W.S. 22-2-113(a)). Ask your clerk for the fee schedule and whether they export the same columns.

Columns in the SOS file: Voter ID, last, first, and middle name, suffix, residence address, county, precinct, split, mailing address, registration date, political party, and House and Senate district. There is no vote-history column.
Date of birth, driver's license and Social Security numbers, telephone number, and email address are confidential and never released (SOS FAQ; W.S. 22-2-113(d)).
The statutory 'registry list' also includes absentee ballot status (W.S. 22-1-102(a)(xxix)), delivered as the Daily Absentee File rather than as a column in the registry export.

Whatever file you get, Culper imports it as a CSV and maps the columns for you. See how to read a voter file for what the fields mean.

Filing to run for local office in Wyoming

Wyoming has no nominating petitions for major-party or nonpartisan local offices; you file a sworn application and, for some offices, a fee. County offices are partisan and file with the county clerk for the August primary (W.S. 22-5-204, 22-5-209). City and town offices are nonpartisan and file with the municipal clerk for a municipal primary held the same day (W.S. 22-23-302). School and community college trustees file with the county clerk for the November general only (W.S. 22-22-202).

File with: County clerk (county offices and school or community college trustees); municipal clerk (city and town offices); Secretary of State (legislature and statewide offices)
Filing fee: $100 for county offices and the legislature (W.S. 22-5-208(a)(i)); $25 nonrefundable for municipal offices (W.S. 22-23-302); no fee for school district or community college trustees or special district directors (W.S. 22-5-208(c))
Petition: None for these offices; a petition is only needed to run as an independent for a partisan office (W.S. 22-5-301)
Partisan?: County offices and the legislature are partisan and nominated in the August party primary. All municipal offices are nonpartisan by statute (W.S. 22-23-102) and use a nonpartisan primary; school and community college boards are nonpartisan and have no primary.

Filing window: County and municipal candidates file not more than 96 days and not later than 81 days before the primary election, which is the Tuesday after the third Monday in August in even years (W.S. 22-5-209, 22-23-302, 22-2-104). In 2026 that window was May 14 through May 29 (SOS 2026 Key Election Dates). School and community college trustee applications go to the county clerk not more than 90 nor less than 70 days before the November general (W.S. 22-22-202). There are no regular city, county, or school elections in 2027.

Key Wyoming dates
What	When	Note
Optional May town election (towns with a charter ordinance under W.S. 22-23-202)	May 2, 2028	First Tuesday after the first Monday in May every two years (W.S. 22-2-104(c)); most cities and towns use the August and November schedule instead
County and municipal candidate filing opens	May 18, 2028	96 days before the August 22, 2028 primary (W.S. 22-5-209 for county offices, 22-23-302 for municipal offices)
County and municipal candidate filing closes	June 2, 2028	81 days before the primary; the 2026 window was May 14 to May 29 per the SOS Key Election Dates
Voter registration closes for the primary (registration at the polls still allowed)	August 8, 2028	14 days before the election (W.S. 22-3-102(a)); in-person registration with absentee voting continues at the clerk's office until the day before
School and community college trustee filing opens	August 9, 2028	90 days before the November general, filed with the county clerk (W.S. 22-22-202)
Primary election (partisan county races; nonpartisan municipal primary)	August 22, 2028	Tuesday after the third Monday in August in general election years (W.S. 22-2-104(b))
School and community college trustee filing closes	August 29, 2028	70 days before the November general (W.S. 22-22-202)
Absentee voting begins for the general	October 10, 2028	28 days before the election, 45 for military and overseas voters (W.S. 22-9-107)
Voter registration closes for the general (registration at the polls still allowed)	October 24, 2028	14 days before (W.S. 22-3-102(a)); the pre-election finance report is due in the 14-to-7-day window, October 24 to 31 (W.S. 22-25-106)
General election (municipal, school, county, legislative)	November 7, 2028	Tuesday after the first Monday in November (W.S. 22-2-104(a)); school and college trustees appear only on this ballot

2027 has no regular local elections in Wyoming; bond and special district elections may still be held in May, August, or November (W.S. 22-2-104(d)).
A municipal primary nominates twice the number of candidates to be elected to each office (W.S. 22-23-307), so with few candidates everyone advances to November.

Campaign finance rules in Wyoming

State-level campaign finance in Wyoming is overseen by Wyoming Secretary of State, Election Division (state filers); county clerks (local filers) through WYCFIS (Wyoming Campaign Finance Information System).

Where local candidates file: Candidates for municipal, county, school board, and community college board offices file with the county clerk, not the Secretary of State (W.S. 22-25-106; SOS 2026 Campaign Guide). County and municipal candidates and their committees file on the SOS paper forms with the county clerk, and may file electronically in WYCFIS where the board of county commissioners has authorized it. A candidate committee must file a Statement of Formation with the county clerk within 10 days of forming. Reports are required even if you raise and spend nothing and even if you lose (W.S. 22-25-106(a)(i)).

Contribution limits: An individual may give a candidate for nonstatewide office (county, city or town, school board, legislature) no more than $1,500 per election, and $2,500 per election to a statewide candidate (W.S. 22-25-102(c)); the candidate and immediate family are unlimited. A PAC may give a nonstatewide candidate no more than $5,000 per election (W.S. 22-25-102(m)). Political party committees have no limit. Corporations, unions, partnerships, professional associations, and civic or religious groups may not contribute to candidates at all (W.S. 22-25-102(a)). Figures are from the 2025-2026 limits table in the SOS 2026 Campaign Guide.

Reporting: A contributions-and-expenditures report is due between 14 and 7 days before each primary, general, and special election, and a final statement within 10 days after the general or special election; ongoing candidate committees also file an annual report by December 31 of odd-numbered years (W.S. 22-25-106).

Contributions totaling less than $200 from one donor do not have to be itemized, but the aggregate must be reported (W.S. 22-25-106(e)).
Local candidate forms are in the 'Local Campaign Finance Report Forms' section of the SOS forms page; the county clerk distributes the instructions with your application.

Limits and thresholds change. Treat the figures here as a starting point and confirm the current schedule with Wyoming Secretary of State, Election Division (state filers); county clerks (local filers) before you accept a check. Our campaign finance basics guide covers the bookkeeping every local candidate needs on day one.

How voting works in Wyoming

In person, with no-excuse mail voting. Wyoming votes in person at the polls on election day, with no-excuse absentee voting by mail or in person at the county clerk's office. A registered voter may request an absentee ballot at any time during the election year except on election day itself (W.S. 22-9-105), and municipal elections follow the statewide rules (W.S. 22-23-101).

Early voting: In-person absentee voting at the county clerk's office begins 28 days before the election and ends the day before (SOS FAQ; W.S. 22-9-107). There is no separate early-voting program.
Mail ballots: Clerks mail absentee ballots starting 28 days before the election (45 days for military and overseas voters). Voted ballots must be received by the county clerk by 7 p.m. on election day.
Registration deadline: Registration closes 14 days before an election (W.S. 22-3-102(a)), but you can still register in person at the clerk's office while casting an absentee ballot during those two weeks, or register and vote at your polling place on election day (SOS 2026 Key Election Dates). Registration requires proof of U.S. citizenship and 30 days of Wyoming residency.
Same-day registration: Yes

Knowing who has already voted: Ask the Secretary of State for the Daily Absentee File. During each absentee period the SOS uploads a statewide file every day to a shared Google Drive folder listing every voter who has requested an absentee ballot, with name, residential, mailing, and absentee addresses, legislative districts, party, and ballot status, plus a final file the day after the period ends; you get the link by emailing the Daily Absentee File Request Form to Elections@wyo.gov (the form lists no fee). County clerks also keep an Absentee Ballot Record for each election with the date each ballot was mailed and received (W.S. 22-9-108), and county election records are public unless the code says otherwise (W.S. 22-2-113(d)). There is no early-voting roster separate from the absentee file.

Local government in Wyoming: what you can run for

Wyoming has 23 counties, each with an elected county clerk who is the local election official. Cities and towns are all nonpartisan and may adopt a charter ordinance to run their own May elections every two years (W.S. 22-23-202). School districts and community college districts elect trustees at the November general; special districts (fire, water, hospital, conservation, and others) elect directors in May or November under W.S. 22-29.

City or town council member
Mayor
County commissioner
County clerk, treasurer, assessor, and sheriff
School district trustee
Community college trustee
Special district director (fire, water, hospital)
State representative and senator

When local elections happen: Everything regular is in even years: the primary on the Tuesday after the third Monday in August and the general on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November (W.S. 22-2-104). Municipal offices use a nonpartisan primary on the August date and the November general; school and community college trustees appear only in November; towns with a charter ordinance may instead vote on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in May every two years.

Running your Wyoming campaign on Culper

Culper does not license voter data in Wyoming today. You upload the Wyoming voter file described above as a CSV, and every feature runs on it: search and lists, plain-English queries, texting and email, block walking, and volunteer coordination. Online donation processing is in development; ask about timing on the onboarding call. Your file stays in your campaign's workspace and is never shared with another campaign.

Set up your Wyoming campaign in an afternoon

Upload the voter file, ask for your first list in plain English, and hand your volunteers the walking app. Signup is open to candidates in every state. Pricing is set after a short call so it matches the size of the race.

Get started Book a demo

Wyoming questions we get asked

Where does a Wyoming city council candidate file, and what does it cost?

With the municipal clerk of your city or town, not the county clerk or the state. You sign the sworn application in W.S. 22-23-302 and pay a nonrefundable $25 fee, not more than 96 days and not later than 81 days before the August primary. Wyoming municipal offices are nonpartisan (W.S. 22-23-102) and go through a municipal primary on the primary date; twice the number of seats advance to November. The next regular filing window is May 18 to June 2, 2028.

How do I get the Wyoming voter list for my county?

For a county, city, or school race the SOS form itself tells you to go to your county clerk, who may furnish registry lists and must treat every requester alike (W.S. 22-2-113(a)). If you want the statewide file, the Secretary of State sells it for $125 ($35 for one county, $25 for one legislative district) after you sign the political-purposes oath. The Wyoming file has name, address, party, precinct, registration date, and districts; it has no phone numbers and no vote history.

What are Wyoming's contribution limits for a county commission or school board race?

$1,500 per election from any individual other than the candidate and immediate family (W.S. 22-25-102(c)), and $5,000 per election from a PAC (W.S. 22-25-102(m)); political parties are unlimited. Because Wyoming county offices have a primary and a general, a donor can give the limit twice in a cycle. Corporations, unions, and other organizations may not give to candidates at all (W.S. 22-25-102(a)). School board candidates have no primary, so one election applies.

Can I see who has already voted absentee in Wyoming?

Yes. Wyoming's Secretary of State generates a Daily Absentee File every day of the absentee period (for 2026: July 21 to August 17 and October 6 to November 2) listing each voter who has requested an absentee ballot with addresses, party, districts, and ballot status, and shares it through a Google Drive folder you get access to by emailing the request form. Your county clerk keeps the same information in the Absentee Ballot Record (W.S. 22-9-108).

When is the next city or school board election in Wyoming?

2028. Wyoming holds its municipal primary with the state primary on the Tuesday after the third Monday in August (August 22, 2028) and elects municipal officers and all school and community college trustees at the general on November 7, 2028 (W.S. 22-2-104, 22-22-102). Nothing regular happens in 2027, so use the year to build your list from the county clerk's registry data and line up your county-clerk campaign finance filings.

Does Wyoming have election day registration?

Yes. Regular registration closes 14 days before an election (W.S. 22-3-102(a)), but the SOS calendar states that voters may register and vote at their polling places on election day, and may also register in person and cast an absentee ballot at the county clerk's office during the closed period. A registrant must show proof of citizenship and have lived in Wyoming 30 days.

Do Wyoming school board candidates need to file campaign finance reports?

Yes. The SOS 2026 Campaign Guide lists school board and community college trustee candidates among those who must file, and W.S. 22-25-106 puts municipal, county, school, and college board candidates with the county clerk. The report is due between 14 and 7 days before the November general, plus a final statement within 10 days after, even if you raised and spent nothing. There is no filing fee to run for a Wyoming school board seat (W.S. 22-5-208(c)).

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Sources

Facts on this page were checked against the official sources below on September 9, 2026. Rules change between cycles; when a number here and the agency disagree, the agency is right.