Voting was steady at many Natrona County polling places this morning during the primary election when voters cast ballots to nominate their parties' candidates for the general election.

As of 11 a.m., about 1,500 people had cast ballots at the consolidated polling places at the Industrial Building at the Fairgrounds (13 precincts) and at the Restoration Church, 411 S. Walsh Drive, (six precincts), said Eileen Hill, information technology director with the Natrona County Clerk's Office.

Hill and some poll workers described the voting as "steady" rather than "busy" compared to two years ago in the primary before the presidential election in November.

About 34,000 county residents are registered to vote, Hill said.

The consolidated voting system at the Fairgrounds had 20 people at computers who took voters' names, checked their addresses, birth dates and party registrations. Each of the precincts had anywhere from one to t

hree workers to take voters' information from where they checked in to receiving the ballots themselves.

Hill said most voters were in and out in about four minutes.

Two years ago, County Clerk Vitto decided to consolidate 14 polling places from some schools to the Industrial Building and six from other schools at Restoration Church because of complaints about problems at school polling places such as parking, access for the handicapped, tightened school security and construction.

However, the inability to use the former Roosevelt High School in north Casper upset many in that neighborhood because residents didn't have transportation to the Industrial Building at the Fairgrounds.

The former Roosevelt school is back.In the past year, the Casper Housing Authority bought the former school so it again could be used as a polling place.

Jeanne Leske, poll coordinator for the north Casper precinct, echoed Hill's observation that voting was steady.

North Casper resident Clementine Ross said she lives four blocks from Roosevelt and didn't like to drive to the Fairgrounds.

Last year, Ross voted absentee, she said.

But now she's back.

"It makes it nice and easy to vote," Ross said. "That's the way it should be."

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  • To find your polling place, visit Natrona County's election website, click on the "voter information" link, then "polling places/where do I vote," and enter your address.
  • For more information, call the Elections Office at (307) 235-9217.
  • Polls close at 7 p.m.

 

 

 

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