A group of residents is again asking the Park County commissioners to order a hand count of the ballots cast in the upcoming election instead of continuing to use electronic tabulators.

“We’re here to request the board choose to have humans count ballots,” Sen. Dan Laursen (R-Powell) said at a Tuesday meeting.

Commission chair Dossie Overfield said the commissioners would investigate the issue and look at having another meeting by early April to determine what, if anything, they’ll do.

Laursen and Cody resident Dave McMillan, who made Tuesday’s presentation to the commission, were also part of an effort to audit the 2022 results with a hand count. Commissioners denied that request after Park County Attorney Bryan Skoric concluded that the law requires ballots to tabulated by via machines.

At Tuesday’s meeting, however, group members and Secretary of State Chuck Gray argued that commissioners do have the authority to conduct a hand count in place of the machines.

Gray, who appeared by Zoom, pointed to a section of state statute that says commissioners “may” adopt a type of voting machine. He said that implies the commissioners could also choose to not adopt any voting machines and instead vote by hand.

“One of the things that is frustrating for individuals here today is the frustration I share, which is the lack of a more complete form of verification of the machines,” Gray said. “I’m very supportive of providing confidence in our election systems, and I think this request today is attempting to do that. Confidence is pivotal in our election process, and we would be happy to help in any way we can in administering this with the clerk and county commission.”

Commissioner Lee Livingston said he would support randomly picking a precinct and, after the results are electronically tabulated by the machines, hand-counting the ballots in that precinct to satisfy those worried about the election process. If it would take a change to state statute to allow for such a measure, Livingston noted a legislative session is about to start and a few local legislators in the room could push a change.

He also noted that all votes in Park County are cast via paper ballots and are only tabulated by the machines, which lack the ability to connect to the internet.

Wyoming has used various types of voting machines for decades, but the electronic machines have come under scrutiny since former President Donald Trump’s loss in the 2020 general election. There’s been increased scrutiny since former President Donald Trump attributed his 2020 loss to fraud.

Trump won Park County and Wyoming handily in both presidential elections, but that hasn’t stopped the skepticism. For example, the Park County Republican Party has passed multiple resolutions calling for a hand count. 

“Throughout this county, Wyoming and the nation, there’s great belief that machines have been corrupted, maybe not in Wyoming, but definitely across the U.S.,” Laursen said. “The people do not trust it.”

At a meeting of the Park County GOP Central Committee in December, the roughly 65 people in attendance were asked how many thought voting machines were secure.

“Not one raised their hand,” McMillan said, later adding, “The public demands and expects purity of elections. But right now, we cannot know if legal or illegal votes can be counted or not counted.”

Laursen suggested the county use the next couple of months to survey residents on whether they’re confident in the current voting system or would prefer to go to a hand count. During the 2022 discussion, county officials warned that a hand count could present a number of challenges — including finding enough election judges to conduct the count and the potential of much slower results.

Wyoming’s primary election will be held Aug. 20, with the general election on Nov. 5.

— CJ Baker contributed reporting