The dust hadn’t even settled on the 2026 Legislative Budget session before our Natrona County field organizer, Ivonne Chavez, was working with volunteers to plan a ‘Voter 101’ town hall in Casper.
This event was a precursor to Better Wyoming’s ‘Commit to Vote’ campaign (we are workshopping a catchier name for this, so if you’ve got one please let us know), which is focused on turning out Wyoming voters in the upcoming primary and general elections with the information that they need to vote all the way down ballot, in state and local elections.
The town hall provided information to a packed room about not only how to vote, where to vote, and what you need to bring to the polls in order to cast your ballot, but more importantly, it educated folks on why their vote in local and state elections matter.
In Wyoming, voter turnout can often be dismally low. Just over one quarter of eligible voters cast ballots in the 2024 primary elections, which decide most legislative seats in Wyoming, and just over half of eligible Wyomingites voted in the 2024 presidential election.
“When one in five people are deciding the trajectory of our state, when you show up, when you participate, you have an outsized impact on the direction that the state goes,” said town hall speaker Corey Cronin, Executive Director of Wyoming Civic Engagement Network.
Eighty percent of Wyoming elections are determined in the primaries, and in 2024, the Wyoming Freedom Caucus won control of the legislature with just 9% of eligible voters casting ballots for their candidates in these primaries.
This upcoming primary on August 18, 2026 will also determine likely outcomes for governor, secretary of state, and other statewide offices, along with two seats in Congress and countless local races.
Voter turnout statistics like these show why events like Casper’s ‘Voter 101’ townhall are so important. It isn’t enough just to give people voter information on when to vote. Events like this help people understand that their vote matters, and gives them the tools to get their neighbors to vote, too.
“Your vote does matter, especially in Wyoming. Especially in your community. For your schools, your roads, your special districts. It is your vote that makes all of the difference.” said Chavez.
Read more about the Voter 101 town hall in this article from the Casper Star-Tribune.