'Next Decade' voting meeting tonight in Worland

WORLAND – Washakie County voters and interested public are invited to attend “Voting in Wyoming in the Next Decade,” a voter-information meeting being held tonight at the County Commission Chambers of the Washakie County Courthouse, hosted by the Office of the County Clerk.

Beginning at 7 p.m., County Clerk Mary Grace Strauch will give a presentation on the current status of voting in the state and county, and where improvements can be made and some of the challenges facing voters in the next 10 years.

Due to the 2002 Help America Vote Act (HAVA), punch card and lever voting machines were phased out across the United States, and each state had to comply with a comprehensive voter registration system.

Under HAVA, $8 million was provided to Wyoming by the federal government to replace voting equipment and build a computerized voter registrations system, which is still in use.

In 2005, then Wyoming Secretary of State Joe Meyer forecast the need for a plan to eventually replace the equipment, and House Bill 0080 was introduced, but failed to be considered by the Senate.

Since that time, no effort has been made to replace systems which may need replaced within the next 10 years.

Current voting issues, beyond needing new equipment, include a lack of election judges statewide, a loss of polling places, the state budget deficit, outdated voting equipment and software, and the chance of county-level failure to count votes, which would elicit Department of Justice intervention.

Strauch notes that voters input is critical, and a voters survey will be handed out during the meeting.

“We need voter input to determine the best ways for voting going forward,” said Strauch.

Those who cannot attend are encouraged to fill out the survey online, at http://www.washakiecounty.net.