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Dear editor:
I am frustrated and sad that the county commissioners have repeatedly voted to stop the Park County people from voting the way that they want! Several times in the last three years …
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Dear editor:
I am frustrated and sad that the county commissioners have repeatedly voted to stop the Park County people from voting the way that they want! Several times in the last three years we have approached the commissioners to allow us to hand count the elections without the ES&S voting machines.
Recently Powell Sen. Dan Laursen, Dave McMillan and Secretary of State Chuck Gray via Zoom presented a request to hand count the 2024 election ballots. Secretary Gray stated that WS: 22-10-102 gives sole authority to the commissioners allowing hand counting. It says "The board of county commissioners MAY adopt for use in any precinct in the county a type of voting machine meeting the standards specified in WS: 22-12-101."
It was my understanding that the commissioners would do some research and have another public meeting. They recently voted without public input to go with the ES&S voting system.
Prior to this presentation two polls were taken asking folks "would you prefer to have your votes counted by humans or machines?" Both polls had an 85% plus preference for hand counting. The Park County GOP does not believe the voting machines are secure as stated at a recent meeting. At the state GOP convention on April 20, they passed a resolution stating "Whereas the electronic voting machines are susceptible to fraud, manipulation and malfunction now therefore, BE IT RESOLVED, the WYOMING STATE REPUBLICAN PARTY is in favor of replacing the current electronic system of voting with a return to paper ballots and hand counting.”
We hear every week of another security breach compromising people’s information. I trust my neighbors to do a very good job of counting my ballot. We can monitor and make sure that the election judges are trained and have poll watchers verifying results. There was a group of voters that met at the Cody Library to see how hard it would be to count and tally hand counted ballots. We found that teams of three people could count a ballot in 35 seconds. As I stated, I am very disappointed in my county commissioners and the stance they have taken.
Larry French
Powell
