A bill that aims to curb crossover voting in Wyoming primary elections passed the Wyoming House Corporations, Elections, and Political Subdivisions Committee on Tuesday morning, although the bill was significantly changed in committee.

House Bill 106 had originally barred people from changing their political affiliation between May 1 and the primary election.

But after committee members expressed strong opposition to banning party switching that far in advance of a primary election, the bill was amended to only ban changing party affiliation .two weeks before the primary. The amended version of the bill then passed on a 7-2 committee vote, sending the measure to the full house for further consideration.

Reps. Andi Clifford [D-Fremont County] and Aaron Clausen [R-Converse County] voted against the bill.

Prior to voting on the measure, supporters of the original proposal said Democrats are ''gaming" the primary election system under current state law, which allows voters to switch parties on the day of the primary election.

Opponents of the measure argued it interferes with voters freedom of choice, especially since the original language of the measure would have banned party switching before the candidate filing period.

A similar bill was recently defeated in a Wyoming Senate Committee.

Following the committee vote on the final version of the bill, Laramie County Republican activist M. Lee Hasenauer said he was optimistic the measure would be changed back to its original form when the full house takes up the issue.

But he said that even if the amended version becomes law "anything is better than what we have now."

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