Natrona County, Wyoming, is preparing for its upcoming primary election. Eighteen election judges gathered at the Casper Agriculture Resource and Learning Center to undergo training, which covered key concepts such as chain of custody, balancing, and security.
Election Process
The training, led by Natrona County Clerk Tracy Good and election specialist Amanda Kennedy, emphasized the importance of meticulous procedures to ensure the integrity of the election. Each ballot is tracked from the clerk’s office to the courthouse, where they are counted. Voters can either mark a paper ballot or use the ExpressVote touch screen, and then feed the ballot through the DS-200 tabulator.
Judges are instructed to answer voters’ questions with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ without providing additional information that could be perceived as influencing their decision. The training also highlighted the role of poll watchers, who are party-appointed to track turnout, and the importance of deputized staffers who collect results bags and take an election oath.
Meet the Judges
The election judges come from diverse backgrounds and have various motivations for participating in the process. Harold Morrow, a 75-year-old retired firefighter, enjoys the relatively brief commitment and the opportunity to serve his community. Lynne Hladik, who has trained her daughter and grandchildren to vote, believes in the system and wants to contribute to its smooth operation. Melissa Connely, who has worked elections for about nine years, sees it as a way to participate in the democratic process.
Chelsie Aaberg, a self-described ‘military wife’ who moved to Casper five years ago, is working her first election and wants to set an example for her generation. Loraine Powell is back for her second cycle, motivated by a sense of legacy to her mother, who ran elections in Montana for decades.
This year, the front-end process may run slower due to new requirements for Election Day registration, which includes proof of citizenship and residency. Despite some concerns about the political climate, the judges are committed to ensuring a fair and secure voting process.
Original reporting: Oil City News (Casper WY) — read the source article.
