District elections coming in May

On May 3, Weston County voters will head to the polls to vote in the first election of 2022: the election of trustees for the Weston County Museum District board and the Weston County Health Services board. 
According to Denice Pisciotti, executive assistant at WCHS, four seats are up for grabs this year and seven candidates have tossed their hats into the ring. Only one of these candidates, Jamie Farnsworth, is an incumbent. Jeff Virchow, George Materi and Mike Ratigan chose not to seek reelection. 
“We have four board seats and seven candidates: Loa Dickinson, Karen Drost, Jamie Farnsworth, Ann Slagle, Nick Johnson from Upton, Bob Hartley and Ian Thurgood,” Pisciotti said. 
Dickinson and Farnsworth are running for the one two-year term while the others are vying for the three four-year terms. 
The museum district has three board openings, according to advertisements for candidates. At this time, according to museum director Cindy Dysart, only one person, Linda Nessul, has filed as a candidate. Dysart said that write-ins may be the only option to fill the additional seats. 
“I’m hoping we can do that,” Dysart said. “It is our only option, but I am waiting for a call back from the Wyoming secretary of state about the situation.” 
Similar to previous years, the two districts are again working together to host the election with polling places in all three municipalities. In Newcastle, voters will cast ballots at the Weston County Library’s Newcastle branch.
“In Osage, it (polling place) will be at the fire hall, which is a new location. Usually, we are at Kitty Moats, but we decided to try something new,” Pisciotti said. Upton voters will cast their ballots at the Upton Community Center. 
With a new voting law requiring a valid ID to vote in Wyoming elections, Pisciotti said, it is important that people remember to bring an acceptable form of ID before voting. The law became effective in July of 2021. 
Acceptable forms of identification, according to the secretary of state’s website are a Wyoming driver’s license or ID Card, tribal ID card, a valid U.S. passport, a U.S. military ID, a driver’s license or ID card from another state, a University of Wyoming ID card, a Wyoming community college student ID card, a Wyoming public school student ID and a valid Medicare or Medicaid insurance card. 
The need for an additional form of identification only applies to those voting in person, the website states, meaning that absentee ballot voters do not require additional identification. 
Those wishing to vote by absentee ballot can do so beginning in April, according to Pisciotti. Anyone needing to request a ballot is encouraged to contact either WCHS or the museum.