GILLETTE — Tens of thousands of voters across Wyoming have been removed from the voter rolls and will need to register again if they want to vote in the Aug. 20 primary election. Additionally, a recent law change will affect those who want to change their political party.
In Campbell County, about 8,000 voters have been purged, said County Clerk Cindy Lovelace.
People who did not vote in the 2022 general election have been purged from the voter rolls, meaning they have to register to vote again. So if the last time they voted was for a presidential candidate in 2020, they will have to register again.
In Campbell County, there were 19,735 ballots cast in the 2020 general election, and 12,700 in the 2022 general election.
In January 2023, postcards were sent out to residents who were set to be purged, elections coordinator Michelle Leiker said, and they were told to contact the elections office in order to not get purged.
To find out if you’re still registered or have been purged, call the elections office at 307-686-1892.
Voters who have been removed from the rolls will have to go to the elections office to register again.
“The message we’re trying to get out to everyone, try to get registered prior so you can prevent having to stand in line,” Lovelace said.
Wyoming is one of 20 states that allows same-day registration, where people can register to vote and cast a ballot on Election Day and in the weeks leading up to the election.
The two weeks before the primary election, from Aug. 6 through Aug. 19, people who register to vote in the elections office also must vote while they are there.
Switching parties
Voters who would like to change their political affiliation have a little more than a month left.
A bill that was signed into law in 2023 prohibits voters from changing their political party after candidates begin filing.
The filing period for candidates is May 16 through May 31. That means if anyone wants to change their political party, they must do so before they know what candidates are in the running.
The deadline to change one’s party is 5 p.m. May 15, Leiker said.
This does not apply to new voters, who may declare a party affiliation when registering after the deadline. This includes people voting for the first time ever and people who moved here from another county and are voting in a Campbell County election for the first time.
And Leiker said that voters who have been purged and are re-registering fall into this group, and they may change their party after May 15.
“If they’re one of the people who got purged, then they would be considered a new registration,” she said.
This story was published on April 12, 2024.
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