The News Editorial: Election cookies and some crumbs

It is time to look at some positives and negatives heading into Tuesday’s election so I am handing out two cookies and some crumbs.

The first cookie goes to all the candidates on Tuesday’s ballot for being willing to serve, for putting yourself out there for people to vote on your policies and ideas and for hitting the campaign trail this year. Share the cookie with your family who is standing beside you on your journey.

The second cookie goes to Washakie County Clerk Lily Rakness Parra for standing up to some bullies.

In the nine years I have lived here in Washakie County I have not seen, nor heard, of any election problems, that covers eight elections. But, this year things have gotten ugly. Clerk Rakness Parra stands behind her election judges, her deputy clerks and the results of the first testing for the election machines that will be used next week.

Those results, unfortunately, were called into question and Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray has requested machines to be retested, and ours will be on Friday. I am not calling Secretary Gray a bully. If there are questions about results then by all means retest.

When I interviewed Lily last week she was willing to answer any question, look up any statute or statistic I requested. She had the election statutes right beside her and said she was referring to it a lot, striving to do things according to statute. She was open and honest in our interview.

Lily told me in that interview that no one attended the first public testing of the machines. She said it went well.

There are questions about the testing ballots all coming up with the same numbers, which is why Sec. Gray is seeking a retest in some counties.

That’s not the real issue. The real issue came in the email from the Wyoming Republican Party, of which, Rakness Parra is a member. The letter accuses some county clerks of trying to hide the results of the machine testing and in the case of Washakie County, all because someone refused to follow procedure.

According to Clerk Rakness Parra, a person came to the office and requested the results, which only she can provide. The person was asked by a deputy clerk to fill out a public records request but refused and left the office.

If that is the process, then that is the process. We in the media have to go through proper channels all the time to access public records. Members of the public should not be treated differently or special.

In a public statement, Rakness Parra said, “I want to emphasize that I fully stand by our original testing, and I am 100 percent confident in the integrity of Washakie County’s election process. The dedication of the County Clerk’s office, as well as the diligent efforts of all County Clerks across Wyoming, have consistently ensured the highest standards of election integrity over the years. My office remains committed to transparency and adherence to state laws. We welcome any lawful requests for information and are here to assist with any inquiries following the proper procedures.”

Now for some crumbs. I have already discussed the out-of-state flyers trying to influence local elections and then lo-and-behold here comes one in Tuesday’s mail from a supposed Wyoming political action committee.

There is inflammatory language with no substance from the Wyoming Stockmen for Liberty. Go to this group’s Facebook page and you find little about them. Go to their website and you find that the “domain name has expired.”

Checking the name on the Wyoming Secretary of State’s website you find they were established in 2021 and directors are from Glendo, Casper, Lingle, Hartville and Wheatland. None in Senate District 20, which the flyer targets.

If you are reading this you probably do not get your information on candidates from social media, or flyers, but from the newspaper or doing your own research.

I ask you to encourage others to do so as well.

We have all candidate profiles on our website at wyodaily.com.

Don’t forget to vote Tuesday and please be informed when you do.

--Karla Pomeroy