Although primary election day is still a couple weeks away, roughly 1,300 Park County residents have already received or cast their ballots.

Absentee and early voting for the Aug. 18 primary began last week. By Monday afternoon, 308 residents had voted at the Park County Courthouse and another 1,008 residents had requested absentee ballots, according to figures provided by the county elections office.

That represents about 7.7% of the county’s more than 17,000 registered voters. 

The early and absentee figures are down from the same point in 2022: The Tribune previously reported that 387 Park County residents had voted early and 1,735 others had requested absentee ballots as of July 25, 2022.

However, it’s impossible to directly compare this year’s numbers to the 2022 primary, as state lawmakers have since shortened the early and absentee voting period from 45 to 30 days for most residents. (Military members and citizens
living overseas remain able to get an absentee ballot 45 days ahead of the election.)

This year’s primary features several contested races, but Park County Elections Deputy Katie Johnson said there’s nothing like the 2022 Republican primary race between then-U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney and now-U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman.

“People are voting and people are showing interest, but nobody is coming in with a specific race in mind that they feel the need to vote on,” Johnson said of those who’ve come into the elections office. “Our turnout seems steady, but there doesn’t seem to be any hot race that people are really, really interested in voting in or that’s driving up turnout.”

Early voting is available inside the elections office at the Park County Courthouse from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, until Aug. 17. On Election Day, Aug. 18, voters must cast their ballots at their designated polling place between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Wyoming voters also have the option of requesting an absentee ballot that they can mail and hand-deliver to the elections office. Those ballots must make it to the office by the time the polls close or they will not be counted.

For more information about the local election, visit parkcounty-wy.gov/county-elections.