April 22, 2024 |
Photo – “I Voted” sticker – Bigfoot99 file photo
County officials are spreading the word about the state’s stricter voter registration laws.
Last October, Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray issued Directive 2023-01. The new law institutes tighter restrictions on voting in the Cowboy State.
During Tuesday’s Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, County Clerk Gwynn Bartlett explained that Directive 2023-01 reduces the amount of time most residents will have to submit absentee ballots.
Clerk Bartlett said the new election rules also prevent voters from changing their party affiliation after candidates have filed to run for office. The county clerk said in the past, Wyoming residents could change their party any time they wished.
Clerk Bartlett said she is specifically targeting a few out-of-town voters not affiliated with any political party. The county clerk said the new law may prevent them from being able to vote in the upcoming elections.
However, Clerk Bartlett said by registering at the polls, new voters can choose a party affiliation after the May 16th deadline. The county clerk said people who didn’t vote in the previous election will need to register again.
Commissioner John Johnson said the county should focus on providing voting information to senior citizens. Commissioner Johnson asked Clerk Bartlett to assemble a team to visit the county’s eight senior centers to walk residents through the changes.
Clerk Bartlett said she’ll have a booth set up at the second annual Care Fair on April 27th to educate people about the new voting laws. The county clerk said she is also reaching out to local media to spread the word on the election changes.
Clerk Bartlett said Carbon County residents can register to vote or change parties with their local town clerk or through the county clerk’s office.
An address to the state’s complete list of accepted forms of voter ID will be included with this story when it is posted to the Bigfoot99 website later today.
Copy and paste to browser: Wyoming Secretary of State Voter Registration Information: https://sos.wyo.gov/Elections/State/RegisteringToVote.aspx
