One-third of Laramie County voters removed from voter registry -- check if you are one

Apr. 19—CHEYENNE — More than 15,000 Laramie County residents were removed from the voter registry in February, and County Clerk Debra Lee wants to make sure the people on that list who want to vote this year know they need to re-register.

Under Wyoming law, county clerks are required to purge and update the registry by Feb. 15, removing all voters who didn't vote in the previous general election. That amounts to about a third of those registered to cast a ballot in the 2022 general election.

Because of the unusually high number of names purged this year, Lee decided to publish the full list as a public service, and yet another way to ensure the public is fully informed about this year's election process.

In a special eight-page classifieds section inside today's Wyoming Tribune Eagle, the Laramie County Clerk's Office has issued a public notice that contains all 15,000+ names. This is the first time the office has done so.

A high voter turnout in the 2020 general election, followed by a record low turnout in 2022, resulted in one-third of Laramie County voters being removed from the registry. Lee predicts a high voter turnout for both the Aug. 20 primary and Nov. 5 general election, however.

Although voters may register at the polls, a high volume of unregistered voters may result in long lines and long waits at the polls.

"Given the thousands who were removed from the voter list, they probably won't know they've been removed," Lee said. "They will have to re-register, and we want them to know before they go to the polls."

State law requires the county clerk to notify voters of their removal from the voter registry. In January, Lee's office mailed notices to around 18,000 voters slated to be removed from the voter list, informing them that if they did not notify the county clerk's office within 20 days, their names would be removed from the registry.

She said around 3,000 responded at that time, and she hopes this public notice will help notify those who remain unregistered.

"The more that we can reach out to, that we can inform and get them to register before they go to the polling place, the better," Lee said.

She said some people on the list may have already re-registered, but she is choosing to err on the side of caution. The names will also be sent to town clerks in Albin, Burns and Pine Bluffs so they may notify their residents and encourage them to re-register.

Two changes to Wyoming's electoral process will also begin this year.

Registered voters must select a party by May 15, one day before the candidate filing period begins, in order to vote in the Aug. 20 primary. Once registered, they won't be able to change their party until after the primary election.

The other change reduces the period for absentee/early voting from 45 days to 28. Absentee ballots for the Aug. 20 primary election will be mailed to those who request one beginning July 23, and on Oct. 8 for the Nov. 5 general election.

Noah Zahn is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle's local government/business reporter. He can be reached at 307-633-3128 or nzahn@wyomingnews.com. Follow him on X @NoahZahnn.