Wyoming primary yields lowest voter turnout since 2016

FROM WYOFILE:

The decline in turnout was widespread, with all the most populated counties experiencing similar drops. Several factors may have contributed to the trend.

As Wyoming’s county clerks tallied the early voting ballots Monday afternoon, some began to see lower numbers, especially in the more populated counties, they told WyoFile. Compared to 2022’s spike in participation, counties like Albany had received about half the ballots.

When polls closed Tuesday night, the numbers remained low.

This year’s primary attracted the lowest number of Wyoming voters since 2016, according to the unofficial early counts from the Wyoming Secretary of State’s Office. The trend held in the state’s more populous counties, with some like Sweetwater tallying the lowest numbers in 10 years or more. The percentage of voters who turned out for these races were also some of the lowest rates recorded.

There were 122,693 ballots cast state-wide, according to the unofficial counts. That’s only 60% of the voters who showed up in 2022 and around 18,000 fewer voters than those who participated in 2020 or 2018.

The heated congressional race between then-Rep. Liz Cheney and Harriet Hageman likely bolstered voting in 2022. That contest received international attention and involvement from outside groups, including former President Donald Trump and his allies.

But Marissa Carpio, policy director of the Equality State Policy Center, a nonprofit that supports fair elections, noted that 2022’s voters didn’t go anywhere, they just didn’t show up for this primary. She suspects the culprits are apathy and confusion.

Changing the rules

This year’s primary didn’t feature the sort of marquee matchup that might draw in voters who don’t routinely participate in elections. The state’s top five elected offices, including the governor and secretary of state, weren’t up for grabs this election cycle like they were in 2022.

Meanwhile, there were several changes to the voting rules this time around. Last year, lawmakers passed legislation to prevent crossover voting. In Wyoming, that usually involves Democrats changing their registration on primary Election Day to vote for moderate Republicans in the primary. (Already registered voters couldn’t change their affiliation after May 15, but those registering for the first time could choose either party through election day.) The early voting period was also shortened.

Carpio said she believes the changes and associated confusion could have contributed to the low turnout.

“Some people told me that they didn’t know that they could register after May 15 at all,” she said. “And they were getting confused with the purging of voters and the crossover change, and are there not going to be ballot boxes, and how does that affect the way that I vote?”

In Laramie County, Clerk Debra Lee heard about yet another issue.

“People didn’t even remember what they were registered as,” she said.

Laramie County saw the lowest number of primary voters since 2008, and the lowest rate of participating voters (53%) since before 2012.

But beyond that, Carpio felt misleading or untrue attack mailers and questions about voting equipment integrity may have simply caused people to not want to vote. Some voters talked with WyoFile on Tuesday about their disgust with mailers in certain areas.

“This influx of varying information, all of this negative stuff, kind of resulted in, ‘Who do I vote for? This is confusing, and do I believe this mailer that was sent to my house?’” Carpio said, noting that many people work long days and may not be able to fact-check claims themselves. “Definitely not every voter followed up with candidates after that, they probably read that and [said], ‘Well, I don’t even think it’s worth it getting involved.’”

That said, Carpio hopes more people sign up for the general election, given the impending decision to choose a president.

“[W]hile the primary turnout might’ve been disappointing, I know that there are still good organizations and people trying to get the information out about voting into the world,” Carpio wrote in an email. “Democracy is impacted when bad actors force restrictive laws on our voters and sow distrust into our elections.”

WyoFile is an independent nonprofit news organization focused on Wyoming people, places and policy.

This story was posted on August 21, 2024.