More than 122,000 people turned out to vote in Wyoming’s primary election. While that’s the lowest primary turnout since 2016, Wyoming Public Radio heard across the state: some Wyomingites were eager for their voices to be heard.
Wyoming Public Radio’s managing editor Nicky Ouellet and news director Kamila Kudelska recap what our reporters heard.
Nicky Ouellet: Hey Kamila, happy primary.
Kamila Kudelska: Happy primary.
NO: A lot of voters we heard from – in Cody, Lander, Teton County and Laramie – were really excited to hit the polls.
Nico McGee of Jackson: It's my first time, so it's exciting for sure.
Lloyd Watkins of Cody: Ah, it feels like an American. That's one of the great privileges we have, right, is to select who represents us and who makes the laws that we live under.
Carl Huhnke of Lander: I got to bring my grandson to vote for the first time.
William Edlund of Lander: [I] just went and voted for the first time.
Susan Purcell of Wilson: It’s everyone’s civic duty to vote, regardless of what’s going on, and I think your local elections are probably way more important than the national election to your everyday life.
KK: That’s great to hear the excitement. So, voters were casting ballots under a couple new election laws this year.
NO: Yes. One is an ID requirement, enacted by the state legislature in 2021. Matthew was working at what he called Albany County’s busiest polling station.
Matthew: Only, like, one or two people had forgotten IDs, and it’s usually just running back out to the car to get it.
NO: That’s exactly what happened to Lisa Kisling in Lander.
Lisa Kisling of Lander: I haven’t turned in my ballot yet because I need to go to my truck and get my ID. I’ve never had to have it before.
KK: Another new election law was not so easy to address. Wyoming now runs closed primaries. That means registered voters need to declare a party affiliation months before the primary, even before candidates file to run.
NO: Right, [to be able] to vote the party ballot of your choice in the primary. This year that deadline was back in May. We heard from voters across the state who weren’t able to vote for candidates they wanted. One of our reporters, Olivia Weitz up in Cody, heard from retired cowboy Mark Harvey.
Mark Harvey of Cody: I had people telling me, “Yeah, you can vote.” Then the next minute “No, you can't vote.” So the elections officer had to get a hold of Cheyenne and find out if I could vote or not. Well, the damn thing is I couldn't.
Olivia Weitz: Why is that?
MH: Well, because I'm unaffiliated and you can only vote if you're Republican or a Democrat. I just think it's a sorry state of affairs when a guy who's been a hired hand in Wyoming his whole life can't vote. There's something wrong with that.
NO: Ann Fitzgerald of Laramie was frustrated she couldn’t switch parties.
Ann Fitzgerald of Laramie: Last year I changed parties in order to be able to vote for Liz Cheney against [Harriet] Hageman. Then I forgot to change parties back and I missed the deadline … In some ways, my vote for things like senator doesn't count as a Democrat in Wyoming. I don't always feel like it matters on the federal level or even on the state level.
KK: Of course, come November’s general election, voters will be able to check the box for whichever candidate they like, regardless of party affiliation.
What else did we hear from voters?
NO: We also heard a range of issues and concerns that drew voters to the polls. Around Cody and Lander, voters we talked to mentioned [property taxes].
And around the state, many voters – like Kisling and Huhnke, who we heard from earlier, along with Maggie, all in Lander – were thinking about how divisive politics has become.
Lisa Kisling of Lander: I think that we have a very divided country right now, and I think it’s sad. We need to become more willing to speak to the other side in terms that they understand and we need to become more united.
Maggie of Lander: I grew up here and everything has gotten very, very polarized since I was a kid.
Carl Huhnke of Lander: Nationally, it’s very divisive, doesn’t seem like anyone can get along to get things done. Locally, it’s not as bad as nationally, but I’ve seen a lot more negativity in our local elections, which I don’t like. You’re either pushed far right or you’re pushed far left. Again when you do that it’s hard to get things done.
KK: Did voters we talk to mention anything else?
NO: A couple mentioned more local issues that they come out to vote for.
Don Newman in Lander: I wanted to vote for the senior [center] ballot question on it, so that’s the main reason I came.
Nanci Stevenson in Jackson: I'm 66 years old and I think I was probably in my 50s before I realized the importance of down-ballot voting. Especially things like in this community, county commissioner, things like that. I think it's super, super important.
To hear from more voters around the state this primary, check out the following stories:
Small-town voters showed up for local races in Teton County
Some Wyoming voters express frustration with new party affiliation election law
Jackson voters on the importance of down-ballot voting
Retired, rural voters in the Cody area are feeling pinched by rising property taxes, cost of living
Lander voters not happy with divisiveness of politics in the state and nation
