Voters reminded they can cast their votes absentee

At the behest of county clerks in Wyoming, the state’s registered voters this year have received mailers reminding them they can cast their votes absentee.

Sheridan County Clerk Eda Schunk Thompson said absentee voting isn’t new to the state.

The mailer includes a tear-off absentee ballot request form and an envelope in which the request form can be returned to the election office in the voter’s county.

Thompson said the mailer, sent by the Wyoming secretary of state’s office and Wyoming county clerks, is part of a VoteSafely Wyoming campaign that originated with the county clerks this year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

She said as in years past, Wyoming voters must be registered voters in order to vote absentee, and they have to request an absentee ballot if they want one. But, she said, though absentee ballots won’t be sent until July 2 to those who request them, people can request the ballots at any time after Jan. 1.

As in years past, all absentee ballots must be received in the county clerk’s office by 7 p.m. on election day. This year, Thompson said, absentee ballots cannot be handed to election judges at the polling places on election day. They must be delivered directly, either in person or by mail, to the county clerk’s office, she said.

If they don’t arrive at the county clerk’s office by 7 p.m. on election day, they won’t be counted.

Thompson said as of 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, her office had already processed nearly 1,300 requests for absentee ballots. The primary election this year is on Aug. 18.