Absentee Voting Begins For Nov. 6 General Election
Voters can cast their ballots early for the Nov. 6 general election now that absentee voting has begun in Natrona County and elsewhere in Wyoming, Natrona County Clerk Renea Vitto said.
Three people were waiting to cast their ballots at the Old Courthouse, 200 N. Center St., before the office opened Friday, and two others arrived shortly thereafter, Vitto said
Besides voting at the County Clerk's office, people can request ballots by mail, Vitto said. "At least 2,300 people already requested ballots through the mail, and we will have them out tomorrow, (Saturday), so people can continue to request by mail."
Those numbers are slightly up from previous nonpresidential elections, she said.
People also can request ballots by sending an email to the county's website, and click on elections, Vitto said.
These are for people who have already registered to vote, she said. If they have not registered, they need to go to the County Clerk's office on the first floor of the Old Courthouse.
Absentee voting ends at the Old Courthouse at 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 5. If you missed absentee voting, you need to go to your polling place on Nov. 6, the day of the general election. There will be no voting booths at the Old Courthouse on Nov. 6.
Unlike the primary election Aug. 21, during which voters declared a party affiliation, everybody gets the same the general election ballot depending on their state Senate and House districts, Casper City Council wards, town councils; fire protection districts; and the Natrona County Conservation District.
All ballots will have the U.S. Senate and Representative candidates; the five statewide elected officials -- governor, secretary of state, treasurer, auditor, superintendent of public instruction; countywide offices: county commissioners, assessor, sheriff, district attorney, treasurer, clerk, clerk of district court and coroner; Casper College trustees; and the Natrona County School District trustees; and the Optional One-Cent Sales Tax No. 16.
Vitto noted that Wyoming is unusual, old-fashioned, behind the times in voting procedures.
Wyoming is one of about five states in which the voting machines are not connected to the internet.
In other words, the state's election system cannot be hacked, a problem that has vexed voting in other states, she said.