This article discusses the Wyoming Republican caucus-convention system, which is different from traditional primary elections. In Wyoming, the process begins with local meetings at the precinct level and then moves to mid-level meetings at the county or district level, culminating in the state party convention. Participants elect representatives at each level, and delegates to the national party convention are awarded to candidates. The process can last several months, and this year, Wyoming Republicans do not conduct a statewide presidential preference vote, unlike Iowa or Nevada.
Unlike other caucus systems, the Wyoming Republicans do not have a statewide “winner” based on precinct caucuses vote totals. The only result reported from the caucus process is how many national convention delegates each presidential candidate has won. There are no raw vote totals or percentages, just the number of delegates won. The precinct caucuses in Wyoming were open to any registered Republican, with participants discussing issues and selecting representatives for the county conventions, where they will vote for a presidential candidate and award national convention delegates.
The county conventions in Wyoming will award 23 of the state’s 29 national convention delegates, with each county having one delegate at stake. The first county conventions are scheduled to take place on Saturday, with the rest occurring over the next two weeks. The remaining six delegates will be awarded at the state party convention in April. Participants elected at precinct caucuses will vote for the presidential candidate to win the delegate from their county. The county conventions are not all scheduled for the same day, with some counties yet to set a date for their conventions.
This unique caucus-convention system in Wyoming allows for a more decentralized process of awarding delegates to the national party convention. The state’s Republicans do not have a statewide presidential preference vote, focusing instead on the delegate count for each candidate. The process is open to registered Republicans who will be 18 by the November election, with individuals elected at the precinct caucuses having the opportunity to vote at the county conventions. The upcoming county conventions will be crucial in determining the allocation of national convention delegates in Wyoming.
