WASHINGTON (AP) — Wyoming has been among the most conservative states in the county, and voters on Tuesday will select the Republican candidates who will advance to November’s general election for federal and state legislative offices.

The only contested races in Wyoming’s primary are on the Republican side.

While voters in the fall will decide contests for the U.S. Senate, the state’s at-large U.S. House seat, 62 state House and 15 state Senate seats, only 56 Republican primaries across these races include two or more candidates. Most of the state legislative candidates who advance will face no Democratic opponent in November.

This unusual circumstance is likely related to how Republicans have dominated the state in recent years.

Republicans have supermajorities in both state legislative chambers. The last time a Democrat won any statewide election in Wyoming was 2006, when Gov. Dave Freudenthal was reelected. Just 11% of the state’s electorate are registered Democrats.

Sen. John Barrasso and Rep. Harriet Hageman both have challengers in the GOP primary but likely do not face serious threats.

Hagemen’s opponent hasn’t reported any fundraising to the Federal Election Commission. In the Senate race, businessman Reid Rasner has raised and spent $1.2 million to Barrasso’s $5 million; Rasner’s fundraising includes a $1.18 million campaign loan

A look at what to expect on Tuesday:

Primary day

Polls close at 9 p.m. EDT.

What’s on the ballot

The Associated Press will provide vote results and declare winners in contested primaries for Senate, House, state Senate and state House.

Who gets to vote

Only voters registered with a political party may participate in that party’s primary. Under a 2023 law that changed the state’s primary system, Republicans may not vote in the Democratic primary or vice versa. Independent or unaffiliated voters may not participate in either primary.

Decision notes

Wyoming has 23 counties, the majority of which contain fewer than 20,000 residents. The most populous counties are Laramie, which includes Cheyenne, and Natrona, home to Casper.

Unlike many other states, these large counties do not lean Democratic. In 2022, the Democratic candidate for governor performed best in the counties of Teton, which includes Jackson and popular tourist areas, and Albany, which includes the state’s fourth-most populous city, Laramie (not to be confused with the county of the same name).

In an example of just how strongly Republican the Wyoming electorate is, Republican Gov. Mark Gordon won both of those counties – Teton by one-tenth of a percentage point, and Albany by almost 28 points.

The AP does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow the trailing candidates to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

Recounts in Wyoming are automatic if the vote margin is less than 1% of the votes cast for the winning candidate. Candidates may request and pay for a recount if they allege fraud or error in the vote-counting process. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is eligible for a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

What do turnout and advance vote look like?

As of July 1, there were nearly 222,000 registered voters in Wyoming. Of those, 11% were Democrats and 81% were Republicans.

In the 2022 midterm primaries, turnout was about 3% of registered voters in the Democratic primary and about 60% in the Republican primary. About 59% of Democratic primary voters and 32% of Republican primary votes in that election cast their ballots before primary day.

As of Thursday, 22,912 ballots had been cast before primary day. About 15% of those were cast in the Democratic primary and 82% in the Republican primary.

How long does vote-counting usually take?

In the 2022 midterm primary election, the AP first reported results at 9:28 p.m. EDT, or 28 minutes after polls closed. The election night tabulation ended at 2:05 a.m. EDT with about 99.9% of total votes counted.

Are we there yet?

As of Tuesday, there will be 77 days until the November general election.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2024 election at https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024.

San Francisco‘s chief deputy city attorney, Yvonne Meré, has filed a lawsuit against 16 websites that use AI to create deepfake pornography by undressing women and girls in photos without their consent.
This unprecedented legal action aims to shut down these popular sites that have surfaced as a harmful trend among teenage boys, employing nudification apps to manipulate images of their female classmates.
According to the New York Times, The 16 targeted sites were visited 200 million times in the first six months of this year. The entities behind these websites are located in California, New Mexico, the United Kingdom, and Estonia. When reached for comments, representatives of the websites either were unavailable or did not respond.
One site promotes its services by asking, “Have someone to undress?” Another states, “Imagine wasting time taking her out on dates,” advocating that users utilize the website “to get her nudes.” Some sites offer free initial images but later charge for more, accepting cryptocurrency or credit card payments.
The deepfake technology used by these sites relies on AI models trained with real pornography and imagery depicting child abuse to generate authentic-looking nude photos from clothed images.
City Attorney David Chiu, the office’s top lawyer, emphasized the minimal repercussions for those behind the images. He noted the challenge in identifying the specific websites responsible once the images begin circulating, which makes it hard for the victims to pursue legal action successfully.
“The article is flying around our office, and we were like, ‘What can we do about this?'” Chiu recalled in an interview. “No one has tried to hold these companies accountable.”
Sara Eisenberg, head of the legal unit focusing on major social problems, highlighted that the issue cannot be solved merely by educating teenagers on safe technology use. Any photo can be manipulated without the subject’s consent, rendering traditional safeguards ineffective.
“You can be as internet-savvy and social media-savvy as you want, and you can teach your kids all the ways to protect themselves online, but none of that can protect them from somebody using these sites to do really awful, harmful things,” Eisenberg said.
The lawsuit is seeking an injunction to shut down the websites and permanently restrain them from creating deepfake pornography in the future. It also demands civil penalties and attorneys’ fees.
The suit argues that these sites violate state and federal revenge pornography laws, child pornography laws, and California’s Unfair Competition Law, which prohibits unlawful and unfair business practices.
Meré took action after reading about the damaging effects of deepfake images in a New York Times article. She immediately contacted Eisenberg, and together, they sought support from Chiu to craft the lawsuit.
“The technology has been used to create deepfake nudes of everyone from Taylor Swift to ordinary middle-school girls with few apparent repercussions,” Chiu said. “The images are sometimes used to extort victims for money or humiliate and harass them.”
Experts warn that deepfake pornography poses severe risks to victims, impacting their mental health, reputations, college, and job prospects. The problem is exacerbated by the difficulty in tracing the origin of the images, making legal recourse challenging.
“This strategy could be viewed as a Whac-a-Mole approach since more sites could crop up,” Chiu acknowledged. However, the suit proposes to add more sites as they are discovered, aiming for broader enforcement as the issue evolves.
San Francisco, being a hub for the artificial intelligence industry with major companies like OpenAI and Anthropic based there, is a fitting venue for this legal challenge. Chiu acknowledged the positive contributions of the AI industry but pointed out that deepfake pornography represents a “dark side” that must be addressed.
“Keeping pace with the rapidly changing industry as a government lawyer is daunting,” Chiu said. “But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try.”
The lawsuit marks a significant effort to combat the misuse of AI technology in creating harmful content and holding accountable those who perpetuate these destructive practices.

After four years in various front-of-house restaurant positions, I applied at the then-Kimpton Hotel Born. I worked there for five years, with three as the beverage manager for the entire hotel property.

Denver is my hometown

I grew up in a suburb just west of the city and moved to the downtown area when I was 19. Denver has professional sports, a world-class performing arts center, a dynamic restaurant scene, and diverse cultural festivals, but the culture is still extremely connected to the natural wonders of the state. People who live in Colorado love being outdoors.

However, the secret is out. In the last 10 years, the influx of people moving to Denver has impacted traffic, the cost of living, and the sustainability of urban growth.

In November 2022, I attended one of Kimpton’s internal conferences

One night, during a social event, I sat with one of our corporate directors of restaurant openings. As I was telling him about my travel background, my fluency in Spanish, and my willingness to move, he just asked me out of nowhere, “Would you be willing to go to Roatán?” Without hesitation, I said, “Yes!”

One month later, we discussed the details of the property and the job, which offered a comparable salary to my Denver position. I would receive a relocation package, onboarding support, and work visa assistance. In February 2023, I made plans to pack up and move.

I was excited but also nervous about moving across the world, sight unseen, by myself. I was sad to be moving away from my hometown and my friends, family, and professional community. Still, I was happy and proud for taking a leap of faith.

I got rid of everything in my small apartment

What I could, I sold, gave away, or donated, and I stored the rest at my best friend’s dad’s house. I brought two suitcases and a backpack with me here.

Once I arrived, I stayed on the property for a few months, which gave me a nice landing pad and time to figure out permanent housing and transportation. The property market is geared toward vacation homes and short-term rentals, but with the help of my local coworkers and diligent prowling of Facebook groups and ads, I found something decent.

Rent in Roatán is cheaper than in Denver, but it varies. I live in a two-bedroom apartment on a quiet hill above one of the main towns, 15 minutes from work, with plenty of space for friends and family to come visit. My rent is $1,200 a month, and cable, hot water, a parking space, and a washer/dryer are included. I also bought a car.

In Roatán, life is completely different

In Denver, I would pack my days with a morning trail run, errands, a matinée at the theater, and dinner with a friend at a new restaurant. Driving 100 miles daily from one small adventure to the next wouldn’t be uncommon.

Here, the island itself is only 35 miles long. There’s no movie theater, bowling alley, or mall, but only a few discotecas and a handful of decent restaurants. My leisure time has become more slowly paced and centers on scuba diving, reading a book by the pool, or a sunset cruise on the water.

I had never been comfortable in the ocean and didn’t like seafood much before moving. I’ve overcome my fear of the water and its creatures and became someone who now compulsively jumps off boats.

When I first arrived, I struggled with loneliness and boredom

I spent many days and nights feeling alone, questioning what I was doing with my life and why I was putting myself through this. However, I have no problems sitting at a bar alone watching sports or chatting with my neighbor. Although it took longer, I’ve made some good friends outside work.

What I love most about Roatán is the people. Their innate warmth and hospitality, love for visitors and each other, and a genuine sense of community and mutual care make me want to never leave.

I still get island fever, but making regular trips to get off the island has helped. La Ceiba is just a quick flight or ferry across the channel. Miami is also an easy direct flight away and fills my city needs with a little nightlife and shopping. I’ve also visited San Pedro Sula on Honduras’ mainland for work and events, and the culinary scene there is bustling.

Moving abroad is hard

There have been many cultural differences to navigate: communication styles differ, time is perceived much more relatively, and language and how people relate to one another are more personal. But for me, the most shocking change was environmental: going from high altitude to being at sea level, from snow to beach.

The bug bites were terrible initially, but my body has adjusted, and they don’t bother me as much anymore. Regulating my body temperature was hard at first, too, but over time, I got used to sweating and drinking more water. After a while, you get used to sand being everywhere.

The girl who spent every Sunday at the theater is now eating fried chicken on the side of the road in a faraway village, listening to punta music, and watching the sun dip far away into the horizon. My ability to adapt, grow, and change continues to surprise me.

My contract doesn’t have a set timeframe, so I’ll stay as long as there are opportunities for me to grow in my career and have a good work-life balance so I can enjoy the island life.

Want to share your relocation story? Email Lauryn Haas @lhaas@businessinsider.com