Plenty on Tuesday's ballot

More than 500 Washakie County voters have already cast their ballots in the 2024 General Election, according to Washakie County Clerk Lily Rakness Parra.

Rakness Parra said Friday morning that they have sent out 676 total absentee ballots and received 525 back ahead of the Nov. 5 General Election.

Voters are deciding on several local and federal races as well as a state constitutional amendment.

Absentee ballots are accepted through November 4. Deadline to register to vote is past but interested persons will be able to register at the polls next Tuesday.

The biggest local race is the race for mayor with current council member Rebecca George challenging incumbent Jim Gill. George topped the ticket in a three-way race in the Aug. 20 primary election, garnering 534 votes while Gill received 402. Bruce Nolting, who was the third candidate in the primary, received 361 votes.

Voter turnout in Washakie County was about 64% with 2,305. Rakness Parra said the general election typically has higher turnout with 3,094 casting ballots in 2022 general election and the last presidential general election, 3,935 Washakie County voters cast ballots.

There are challengers in all city council races with at least three new council members being elected Tuesday. George opted to seek the position of mayor and not run for re-election to her Ward 1 seat. Vying for that four-year term is Bill Glanz and Jeff Pomeroy.

In Ward 2, there are two four-year seats and one two-year seat. Wendy Fredricks is seeking re-election to one of the four-year seats with three other candidates — former council member Mandy Horath, Lawrence Meier and Kassie Nolting.

The two-year is seat opened with the resignation of Pete Calderon earlier this year. Terry Batt and Sheryl Ley both accepted write-in nominations.

One seat is open in Ward 3 with current council member William Worley seeking reelection. Tony Wartman is challenging Worley. Worley garnered 156 votes to 107 for Wartman in the Aug. 20 primary.

FEDERAL RACES

One of the biggest races in the general election has national implications and Wyoming has three choices for president and vice president — Republicans Donald Trump and JD Vance; Democrats Kamala Harris and Tim Walz; and Libertarians Chase Oliver and Mike ter Maat.

Also at federal level, U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman seeks a second term, challenged by Democrat Kyle Camron, Libertarian Richard Brubaker and Constitution Party Jeffrey Haggit.

U.S. Senator John Barrasso is challenged by Democrat Scott Morrow.

SPECIAL DISTRICTS

There is a five-way race for three four-year seats on the Washakie County School District No. 1 Board of Trustees. Incumbents Jonathan Hake, David Tommerup and Brett Argeris are challenged by Becky Dooley and Shane Seghetti.

AMENDMENT and JUDGE RETENTIONS

In addition to candidates, voters will also decide on judge retention and a constitutional amendment.

Two Supreme Court judges are up for retention — John Fenn and Kate Fox. Also up for retention are Circuit Court judges Edward Luhm and Joseph Darrah and District Court Judge Bill Simpson. (See related story on judge retention.)

The constitutional amendment question voters are asked to vote “for” or “against” is as follows: “The adoption of this amendment would separate residential real property into its own class of property for purposes of property tax assessments. The amendment would authorize the legislature to create a subclass of owner occupied primary residences.”

Currently under the State Constitution and Wyoming Statute there are three property classifications, minerals, industrial and “all other property, real and personal.” The classifications were set by voters in 1988 and rates were set by the Wyoming State Legislature, starting Jan. 1, 1989.

According to the LSO, the State Constitution prohibits the Legislature from “creating any subclass within the authorized classes of property.” The constitution also requires “all properties be taxed uniformly in each class.”

This amendment would allow the Legislature to “create a subclass of residential property for owner occupied primary residences,” thus allowing the Legislature if they so choose, to decrease the percentage for “owner occupied primary residences” without lowering the percentage of taxes on the other properties in the current classification (commercial, agricultural and personal).

Per Wyoming Statute the amendment must be approved by majority of the electors voting in the election, thus if a voter does not cast a vote for or against the amendment it acts as a no vote.

UNOPPOSED

Several partisan races are unopposed after winning the primary — State Rep. Martha Lawley will be re-elected to House District 28; State Sen. Ed Cooper will be re-elected to Senate District 20. Tom Schmeltzer won the Republican nomination for county commissioner defeating incumbent Aaron Anderson. He will be sworn in in January 2025.

Washakie County School District No. 2 candidates are also unopposed with Erin Blutt, Shana Harstad and Jared Lyman all moving toward reelection.

Worland Fire Protection District No. 1 Board members Tim Surat, Tad DeBolt and Kent Lombard will also be reelected as they are unopposed for their three seats.

Also unopposed are Andrew Mills and Susan Pennington for two seats on the Washakie County Conservation District, Terril Mills for Ten Sleep Cemetery District two-year term and Randall Firnekas and Jan Michael for four-year seats on the cemetery district board.