Early voting begins Tuesday

Among the election law changes that have taken effect since the last general election is a reduction in the number of days allotted for absentee voting, also known as early voting.

The Wyoming Legislature trimmed the absentee voting window from 45 days to 28 days with the passage of Senate Enrolled Act 86, one of several election integrity bills that emerged from its 2023 session.

In Big Horn County and across Wyoming, the absentee balloting window opens Tuesday, Oct. 8.  

“We currently have approximately 800 absentee ballot requests and those will be mailed out on or near October the 8th,” said Big Horn County Clerk Lori Smallwood. “UOCAVA ballots issued to military and citizens living abroad were sent in accordance with statute on September 20th.”

Smallwood said absentee balloting has “always been popular in Big Horn County” and that her office is seeing about the same percentage of absentee voters as it did in non-COVID-19 elections.

The COVID-19 election, of course, was the 2020 election. Coming after the worst of the pandemic and when controversies were still raging over lockdowns and vaccines, it produced the highest voter turnout in county history.

The clerk’s office processed 5,784 ballots that year, which was 1,500 more than it did in 2020.  The total included 1,721 absentee ballots — that equaled 94% of the 1,832 absentee ballots issued.

For those who may be wondering how absentee ballots are handled, Smallwood said none are counted until election day.

“Absentee ballots are checked into the voter registration system when they arrive, receive a date stamp and are filed in a locked cabinet until election day,” she said. “On election day the absentee poll is opened and staffed by three or four election judges.   

“The absentee poll is operated much like the local poll.  Ballots are logged in a poll book by two judges and then two other judges process the ballots through the ballot tabulator, which is a DS 200.”

With Nov. 5 fast approaching, Smallwood offered a reminder that voter registration closes on Oct. 21. Voters can register at the polls on election day.  If they will be unable to go to their local polling place on Nov. 5, they can visit the courthouse, register and vote absentee between Oct. 22 and Nov. 4.