Early voting for the general election is on pace to easily eclipse the scant primary-election turnout in Wyoming’s most populous counties.
Laramie County residents are even breaking early voting records.
“It’s phenomenal,” County Clerk Debra Lee said.
The primaries in August yielded the lowest statewide turnout since 2016. But now, Lee says, Laramie County residents are showing up in droves. More than 7,000 people had voted early in person there as of Monday, not including absentee ballots. The entire vote count for the primaries there was 18,554.
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Early voting has been popular in Campbell County, too.
“It’s definitely busier than the primary was,” Election Coordinator Michelle Leiker said.
And while the rather long ballot has resulted in the occasional wait for voters, Leiker said the re-registration process has been the primary cause of slow downs.
“A lot of them missed the November 2022 election, and they didn’t respond back to the postcard that they received in the mail,” she said. “And so I had to purge about 8,000 people that were registered from the 2020 election.”
Campbell County started the year with about 12,000 registered voters, but that had already climbed to about 15,000 a week or two ago, Leiker said. That’s compared to 20,000 voters in 2020.
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Sheridan County purged about 4,000 voters after the 2022 election, according to Election Supervisor James Temple. As of Wednesday, about 1,000 came back to re-register.
“So it has just been non-stop madness,” Temple said. “But so far, we’re holding our own. If we can just get through one more week, I think it’ll be a really good election.”
Lines and absentee ballots
In Albany County, early voting has attracted decently long lines, according to Election Coordinator Stacey Harvey, so get ready to wait if you show up during a high-traffic time of day.
Residents cast their vote at the Natrona County Elections Office on Oct. 14, 2024. (Dustin Bleizeffer/WyoFile)
“On a busy time, [it’s a] 20- to 30-minute wait, probably,” she said. “It’s been wild. It’s good, we like it.”
Beyond voting in person, Fremont County Clerk Julie Freese said absentee ballot data suggests they’re on track to eclipse absentee vote counts from 2016, but not the higher-turnout and absentee-heavy 2020 race. Primary numbers have already been eclipsed, she said.
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She added that voters are still requesting absentee ballots, but they should be mindful that the ballots must be back to county offices by 7 p.m. on Election Day.
“We do still keep getting absentee requests, which is getting close to the time frame where it’s a little bit concerning,” Freese said on Monday.
The U.S. Postal Service recommends locals send in ballots at least seven days before the deadline, giving absentee ballot holders less than a week to mail it back in, or two weeks to bring it to a drop-box.
There’s been a bit of a slower start in Natrona County, Clerk Tracy Good said.
“I’m not gonna lie, last week, I was kind of like, ‘Where is everybody at?’” she said.
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But it’s picking up this week, and she expects they’ll soon be processing around 800 people a day as the election nears.
All election staff WyoFile talked with felt confident about the number of election judges and volunteers they’ve been able to attract for the general election, even if there are still a few vacancies and some more training to do. In Sheridan County, Temple said he even plans to keep some of the judges on the clock to help enter voter registrations into the state system the day after the election — something he says they have 30 days to do.
“We’re hoping we can have them done in as little as five to six days this time,” he said.
To see what’s on your own ballot before heading to the polls, go to your local elections web page, or vote.org. To figure out where to cast your ballot, the Wyoming Secretary of State’s Office has also launched a new polling place locator on its website.
WyoFile’s election guide covers races for U.S. Congress and the Wyoming Legislature, as well as judicial retention and the proposed constitutional amendment.
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With a population under 600, Byron, Wyo., is generally a quiet town. In recent weeks, streets have been even quieter as both local and federal law enforcement search for 39-year-old fugitive Anthony Pease, who is wanted for six counts of sexual assault involving a minor.
Authorities have been searching the area for weeks, and a reward for information leading to an arrest now sits at $2,000.
See how the search impacts the town:
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Search for fugitive wanted for child sex crimes leaves Wyoming town on alert
Saturday morning, law enforcement shared there was a confirmed sighting of Pease near town and reminded residents to remain vigilant by locking their doors and reporting suspicious activity. According to Wyoming’s Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office, before the weekend sighting, Pease hasn’t been seen since Nov. 1.
The Big Horn County Schools Superintendent, Matt Davidson, told MTN News a school resource officer on staff stays up to date with the latest on search efforts, and some parents say they’ve been keeping their kids indoors when they’re not at school.
As the search continues, the mayor as well as some residents, say they are taking law enforcement’s advice while keeping a watchful eye.
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“I never used to lock my house during the day. I didn’t even lock my vehicles at night. In fact, a lot of the time I’d leave the keys in them. I’ve talked to other people and there is quite a few people that are nervous. I would hope that a lot of us are nervous because this is a bad thing,” said Byron Mayor Allan Clark.
In fact, investigators could be seen around Byron knocking on doors and scanning land outside of town.
“There’s just so much area and a low population, so much area for him to hide and seek shelter,” Clark said.
With so many wide-open spaces and abandoned buildings in the area, Clark understands why the search has gone on so long.
According to the US Marshals Service, Pease is 5 feet 11 inches tall and may also be going by the name Abraham. They also ask that anyone nearby who has a collection of silver dollars to ensure they are still there, and if not, to report to authorities.
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Marshals say Pease is considered dangerous, and the public is told to not approach him and instead call 9-1-1. As the search has stretched over six weeks, many residents hope a capture will bring life back to normal.
“I hope that they capture him soon, and I hope that us as community members and around the area keep our eyes open and report anything suspicious,” said Clark.
SHOSHONI, Wyo. — A 12-year-old boy from Shoshoni is now the proud holder of the Junior 4-pound Line Class world record for bass after netting a 2-pound, 4-ounce largemouth in August. The boy, coincidentally with the last name Bass, caught the fish at Lake Cameahwait.
According to a release from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Tucker Bass and his father were fishing over the lake on a two-person kayak when the young angler reeled in the record fish. He did so on a rod and reel given to him by his grandfather.
Bass is the first Wyoming resident to hold a world record in any category for largemouth. The International Game and Fish Association oversees all world records for fishing and officially approved Bass’s catch in November.
Wyoming’s state record largemouth was caught in 2018 near Sheridan. A comprehensive list of all Wyoming record fish can be found here.
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“This is an exceptional accomplishment for a young angler,” WGF Lander Region fisheries supervisor Joe Deromedi said in the release. “Tucker’s record highlights not only his skill and dedication, but also the quality fishing opportunities we have in central Wyoming. It’s always exciting to see youth developing a lifelong passion for fishing.”
Bass, an avid fisherman, also earned Trophy Angler status in the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s Master Angler program in August.
For more information on Tucker Bass’s record catch, see the Wyoming Game and Fish website.
Junior Line class 4-pound world record-holder Tucker Bass (WGF Department)
