Laramie County Clerk 10-15, 2016
With the 2016 General Election just over three weeks way, more than 4,100 voters—representing nearly 12 percent of all those registered–have already cast their ballots for the General Election. Nearly 2,700 new voters have been registered since the Primary Election, according to Laramie County Clerk Debra Lee.
“By Friday, which was the mid-point in our early voting period, 2646 voters had cast ballots at the county’s early voting site in the Atrium. We’ve averaged 176 voters per day, and nearly 350 showed up on October 14th .” said Lee.
Lee noted the clerk’s office has mailed out more than 3400 absentee ballots and nearly 1500 of those ballots have already been returned and are securely stored until they are opened and counted on Election Day, Nov. 8.
Voters have 15 more days in which they can cast their ballot early in the Atrium of the Laramie County Governmental Complex in Cheyenne.
Lee advises those who want an absentee ballot to request them this week so there’s time to receive the ballot in the mail, mark it, and return it to the clerk’s office by the 7:00 p.m. Nov. 8 deadline. Lee said U.S. postal officials informed her office to allow up to one week for mail delivery within the county, even for material mailed within Cheyenne because mail is processed through Denver.
“We ask voters to request their ballots no later than Oct. 21 and mail them back to us by Oct. 31 so they reach our office in time to be counted.” said Lee. “By law, we cannot count any ballots that arrive after 7:00 p.m. Nov. 8. It’s frustrating when we receive ballots that were mailed too late.”
Early voting is taking place in the Atrium of the Laramie County Government Complex, 309 W 20th St., Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. and the last day for early voting is Monday, Nov. 7.
Voters may request an absentee ballot—or check their registration status–by calling (307) 633-4242 or by emailing election@laramiecountyclerk.com .
Lee reminds voters that Wyoming law allows them to register and vote on the same day, so a Laramie County resident meeting the qualifications may register and vote at the early voting site in the county complex or on Election Day, Nov. 8, at any of the 13 vote centers in the county.
Qualifications for voter registration are: U.S. citizen, resident of Laramie County, and at least 18 years of age by the day of the election. If convicted of a felony, the applicant must have had their voting rights restored and applicants cannot have been adjudicated as mentally incompetent. Persons wishing to register should bring a government-issued photo ID. A current Wyoming driver’s license is the preferred document. Among the other accepted documents are: military ID, school ID, or U.S. passport.
For more information on elections in Laramie County, including sample ballots and locations of vote centers, visit the Election page of the Laramie County Clerk’s website at www.laramiecountyclerk.com
