The Wyoming Legislature is reviewing a draft bill for the 2027 session that would give voters the power to recall city officials serving four‑year terms. The proposal, currently titled the “recall of elected municipal officials” bill, is being considered by the Corporations, Elections, and Political Subdivisions Committee.

How a recall would work

Under the bill, a petition to trigger a recall election must be signed by a percentage of eligible voters that varies with the size of the electorate. If an office has 2,500 or fewer eligible voters, the petition must gather signatures from 40 % of those voters. For offices with between 2,500 and 10,000 eligible voters, the threshold drops to 25 %. When more than 10,000 voters are eligible, only 15 % of signatures are required.

Each petition must include a general statement of the reasons for recalling the official and may target only one official at a time. A petition seeking to remove an entire city council on a single form would not be permitted.

Election timing

If the county clerk verifies that the required number of signatures has been collected, a recall election would be scheduled to occur between 91 and 120 days after certification, unless a regular election is already slated for that period. In that case, the recall question would appear on the regular ballot. If no regular election coincides, a special election would be called within the same 91‑to‑120‑day window.

Potential expansion to county commissioners

Republican Representative Ann Lucas, who represents Laramie County, has indicated she intends to amend the bill to extend recall authority to county commissioners. Currently, the Wyoming Constitution limits recall to city officials only in municipalities that operate under a “city commission” form of government—a structure that no Wyoming community presently uses.

Committee schedule

Lucas said the bill was slated for discussion by the Corporations Committee this week, but the meeting was postponed. The committee is now expected to consider the measure on November 17 at 8:30 a.m. in Capitol Extension Room W006.

Implications for Wyoming voters

Supporters argue that the recall mechanism would increase accountability for local leaders, giving citizens a direct tool to address misconduct or poor performance. Critics caution that recall processes can be costly and may be used for partisan or personal grievances rather than genuine governance concerns.

The draft remains under review, and any amendments—such as expanding recall to county commissioners—will be debated before the bill moves forward in the legislative process.

Original reporting: K2 Radio (Casper) — read the source article.