The bill establishes new offenses related to election intimidation in Wyoming, creating both a misdemeanor and a felony for such actions. Specifically, it introduces the misdemeanor offense of "election intimidation" under W.S. 22-26-122, which includes inducing fear in election officials or voters through threats of violence or economic retaliation, as well as soliciting contributions through similar threats. The bill also creates the felony offense of "aggravated election intimidation," which carries more severe penalties and is defined similarly but with a focus on the intent to impede the electoral process.

Additionally, the bill amends existing statutes to incorporate these new offenses, allowing for election contests based on violations of the newly established provisions. It repeals an inconsistent provision and specifies that the act will take effect on July 1, 2024. The penalties for these offenses include up to five years in prison or a fine of up to $10,000 for aggravated election intimidation, and up to six months in jail or a fine of up to $1,000 for election intimidation.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 22-17-101, 22-26-101, 22-26-111, 22-26-112