Pokes Vote

About

Pokes Vote is a non-partisan cooperative campaign at the University of Wyoming focused on maximizing student civic engagement and leadership development through voter education, registration, and turn-out. Pokes Vote is committed to honesty, fairness, and the relentless effort to get college-aged students engaged in their democratic community by voting.

Information about 2024 election activities will be coming soon!

Registering to vote in Wyoming

There are several different options for registering to vote in Wyoming.

• Register in person at your local County Clerk's office
  • To register in person here in Laramie, just visit the Albany County Clerk 's office in the Courthouse at 525 Grand Avenue, Suite 202 . If you enter the front of the building, just go to the top of the first set of stairs and turn left! Their hours are Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm. If you are a student living in Laramie but would like to be registered in your "home" county in Wyoming, you can do this here and they can send it to your county! To find information for other counties, please go here.
• Register by mail
  • To register by mail, you will need to print this form. Follow the instructions on the form to fill it out and note that you must sign the oath before an oath-taking officer (i.e. have it notarized). Information for mailing the form is included in the instructions.
• Register in person during Early/Absentee in-person voting
  • See the Absentee/Early Voting module for more information. You can register AND vote in one trip!
• Register in person at a voter registration event hosted by the local County Clerk's Office
  • County Clerk's routinely table at community events to offer voter registration. The Albany County Clerk will be conducting voter registration on campus Tuesday, September 20^th from 11am-1pm in the East Ballroom!
• Register in person on election day
  • One of the greatest things about our process here in Wyoming is that you can register to vote on Election Day! Just go here to find your polling place and register when you vote.
• Unfortunately, Wyoming does not allow online registration at this time.

 You will need to provide identification in order to register. Acceptable Identification may be any one or more of the following:

• Wyoming Driver’s License;
• United States Passport;
• Driver's License or Identification Card issued by any State or Outlying Possession of the United States;
• Identification Card issued by the Federal Government, any State or Local Government, or an Agency thereof;
• A tribal ID of any Federally Recognized Tribe;
• Photo Identification Card issued by the University of Wyoming, a Wyoming Community College, or a Wyoming Public School;
• United States Military Card; or
• Identification Card issued to a Dependent of a member of the United States Armed Forces.

OR

Any two or more of the following documents together shall constitute proof of the individual's identity:

• Certification of United States Citizenship;
• Certificate of Naturalization;
• United States Military Draft Record;
• Voter's Registration Card from another State or County;
• United States Social Security Card;
• Certification of Birth Abroad issued by the Department of State;
• Original or certified copy of a birth certificate bearing an official seal; or Any other form of identification issued by an official agency of the United States or a State.

Absentee Voting in Wyoming

Absentee Vote:
a vote cast by a person who, because of absence from usual voting district, illness, or the like, has been permitted to vote by mail. (dictionary.com)

Unlike some other states, you do not need a specific reason to request an absentee ballot in Wyoming. 

Any registered voter in Wyoming may request an absentee ballot for any or all elections ONLY within the calendar year in which the election is held but not on the day of the election. When requesting an absentee ballot, you must provide the following voter and absentee ballot request information:

• Full name;
• Date of birth;
• Your current Wyoming residence address including your house number, street, city, county and zip code;
• The mailing address where your ballot should be mailed;
• The election(s) for which the absentee ballot is requested;
• If for a primary election, the political party ballot you wish to vote. (You must be a registered member of that political party. If you are not, please contact your county clerk  on how to update your voter registration information); and
• A statement that you are eligible to vote in the election(s).

You can submit your request in a variety of ways:

• By Phone – Call your county clerk
• By Mail – Print and fill out the application form and mail to your county clerk
• By Email – Put “Absentee Ballot Request” in the subject line
• In Person – Request an absentee ballot in person at your county clerk’s office
• Online Request Forms – Select the applicable form below
  • Military and Overseas Voters ONLY
  • All Other Voters

Mailed ballots will be sent 45 days before the election to all voters who have requested that an absentee ballot be mailed. Absentee ballot requests received after 45 days will be sent as soon as possible. (Mail delivery within the county may take up to seven (7) days, and longer if your mailing address is outside the county.) 

Once you have filled out your ballot, it must be received in the county clerk's office no later than 7:00 p.m. on Election Day. Ballots arriving after the deadline will not be counted. Note that it does not matter when it is postmarked, the deadline means the clerk must actually have the ballot by that time.

Ballots may be returned to the county clerk in the following ways:

• In Person – Bring your completed absentee ballot in the signed envelope to your county clerk’s office.
  • There is a drop box outside of the Albany County Courthouse.

By Mail – Mail your completed absentee ballot in the provided envelope to your county clerk’s office. (Mail delivery within the county may take up to seven (7) days, and longer if you’re mailing your ballot from outside the county.)

Early Voting in Wyoming

Early voting is technically known as absentee in-person voting. This just means that you can walk in, request a ballot, and vote before Election Day.

In Albany County, this takes place in the Elections Building, a small annex on the east side of the County Courthouse located at 525 Grand Avenue.

Early Voting begins Friday, September 23 and runs through Monday, November 7. Hours are Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm. As a reminder, if an elector is early voting, they will have to provide picture identification. If they are taking their ballot with them, they do not need to provide ID.

Information about other counties can be found here.

Voting on Election Day in Wyoming

Election Day is Tuesday, November 8^th!

• You can find your polling place by checking this site . Even if you have voted in Wyoming before, you should check your polling place as there may have been changes since the last election.
• Polls are open 7am-7pm on Election Day, Tuesday, November 8^th.
• You will need to show ID to vote.
   Acceptable forms include: WY DL or ID Card, Tribal ID Card, Valid US Passport, US Military Card, DL or ID Card from Another State, UW Student ID, WY Community College Student ID, WY Public School Student ID, Valid Medicare Insurance Card, Valid Medicaid Insurance Card
• Voters without ID: If you are unable to provide ID, you will be able to vote a provisional ballot. Your ballot will be counted if you are able to provide ID to your election office before the close of business one day after the election.

You may be legally entitled to time off to vote on Election Day per Wyoming law:

Universal Citation: WY Stat § 22-2-111 (1997 through Reg Sess)  

(a) Any person entitled to vote at any primary or general election or special election to fill a vacancy in the office of representatives in the congress of the United States is, on the day of such election, entitled to absent himself from any service or employment in which he is then engaged or employed for a period of one (1) hour, other than meal hours, the hour being at the convenience of the employer, between the time of opening and closing of the polls. Such elector shall not, because of so absenting himself, lose any pay, providing he actually casts his legal vote.

(b) This section shall not apply to an employee who has three (3) or more consecutive nonworking hours during the time the polls are open.

In the event you are turned away from the polls or encounter any other problems voting on Election Day, call the national Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683).

Voting in States Other Than Wyoming

If you are a UW student living in Wyoming and are eligible to vote, you have the choice to register and vote here. It does not matter whether you are considered an in-state student for purposes of tuition and this will not affect your financial aid or whether your parents can claim you as a dependent on their taxes. It is your choice!

However, you may choose to vote absentee in your "home" state. You may only be registered and vote in one location. To find information for your state, just go here and click on your state.