Politics & Government

Neighbor To Neighbor: COVID-19 In Wyoming

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Quarantined On Election Day? Call Your County Clerk

Wyoming Public Radio | By Savannah Maher

Published November 2, 2020 at 3:00 PM MST

As COVID-19 cases continue to surge in our state, thousands of Wyomingites will be sick with the coronavirus or under quarantine orders on Election Day. That doesn't mean that they can't cast a ballot.

According to Monique Meese of the Wyoming Secretary of State's Office, each county is making accommodations to ensure that those individuals can vote.

"Individuals who are impacted by a quarantine order have been asked to work with their County Clerk directly to determine how best to exercise their right to vote without exposing others to contamination," Meese wrote in an email.

Linda Fritz, who serves as the Crook County Clerk and heads up the Wyoming County Clerk's Association, said protocols will vary across the state, but most counties will offer curbside voting to those who are under quarantine orders.

"They pull up [to the polling place] and call the County Clerk's office and then we can get judges out to them, and then they can bring them out a ballot to their car," Fritz said. "That would be the best recommendation."

According to Fremont County Clerk Julie Freese, individuals who have tested positive for the coronavirus or been exposed can't be kept from the polls. However, she said curbside voting is the safer option.

"The [Wyoming] Department of Health did come down with COVID positive and quarantine regulations that say they can come in, which I don't really like," Freese said. "And so my recommendation is let me arrange curbside for you. Let's not infect anybody accidentally."

Freese said voters who prefer a curbside option should call their County Clerk to request it before driving to their polling place. She stressed that voters in need of special accommodations should contact their County Clerk as soon as possible ahead of election day.

"We're here to answer those questions. So call in to us, and let's get you situated for your situation," Freese said.