Elections

NPR and Wyoming Public Radio bring you Election coverage beginning Tuesday at 6pm (MTN) following All Things Considered. We'll closely follow the Presidential election as well as results from  Congressional, Senate, and Gubernatorial races.   Wyoming Public Radio will provide coverage of state and local races.

District Court Judges across the state are urging voters to vote yes on proposed Constitutional Amendment C. 

The Amendment would clarify what tasks a District Court Commissioner can perform.  A court commissioner is an acting judge who can handle a variety of tasks for a judge that range from taking depositions to holding Juvenile hearings. 

District Court Judge Jeff Donnell said that caseloads have grown over the years and Judges are spending more time on the bench and District Court Commissioners can help with a number of tasks.

A Democrat US Senate candidate says the nation needs to stop its war on drugs.  

Tim Chesnut says the country spends too much money on the effort and should instead try to see the benefits of legalizing some drugs like Marijuana.  Chesnut says such a legalization effort could raise revenue.

Voter mobilization efforts on the Wind River Indian Reservation are targeting young, Native residents to vote in the general election on November sixth.

Voter initiatives on Wind River Indian Reservation include free rides to polling places on Election Day, hanging information leaflets on residents’ doorknobs about where and how to vote, and a celebratory feast for participants. Event Coordinator Jolene Catron says that the last time there was such an effort on the reservation, the number of voters almost doubled.

Two U-S Senate candidates differ on the role of the environmental protection agency.  Senator John Barrasso says the E-P-A has hurt Wyoming’s energy industry and has developed unfair regulations that have harmed the coal industry.              

“You know I think what the EPA has done for 40 years has made remarkable progress, but now we are at a point, at this point I believe they are failing America by the impact that they are having on so many energy jobs because of regulations coming out of Washington.”

Some Laramie residents have organized to boycott businesses owned by Tim Woodward, a local restaurant franchise owner.

Last week, Woodward and his brother Rob – the Woodwards operate franchises in Wyoming and Colorado – wrote an open letter in the Laramie Boomerang, saying they told employees that if President Obama is re-elected and the Affordable Care Act stands, he will be forced to cut hours and benefits to employees.

Will Welch, an administrator for the Facebook group “Say No to Voter Intimidation Food”, called the letter “craven and unnecessary”.

A year and a half ago, Don Wills helped to form a new political party in Wyoming, called the Country Party. Today, he is challenging Representative Cynthia Lummis for her seat in the US House.

A business owner in the computer industry,  Wills says his aim is to challenge what he calls liberal, progressive Republicans, and to raise the new party’s conservative profile.  He says there are two main parts of his agenda—the first: the deficit.

During this week's presidential debate, President Obama challenged Mitt Romney’s assertion that oil drilling on public lands was down by 14 percent. Almost as soon as they cleared the stage, a flurry of fact-checking revealed that while the rate did drop in one year—mostly due to the moratorium on drilling after the BP oil spill—drilling has increased on public lands during Obama’s tenure. 

Early voting in Wyoming begins Thursday.  Since 1991, the state has allowed absentee voting without an excuse. 

People may register and in many instances they may vote in person at the County Courthouse or they can take their ballot home and return it.  State Elections Director Peggy Nighswonger says it’s very popular.

“People that are thinking they may be out of town, shift workers who it’s hard for them to get to the polls, the elderly, it’s just a convenience for a lot of people.”

Tues through Thursday nights from 6 to 9pm

A push by the conservative arm of the Republican party mostly fizzled in last night’s primary election.  Most incumbents won their elections and will advance to the general election. 

Senator Charles Scott of Casper survived the race with perhaps the highest profile in defeating veteran Representative Bob Brechtel.  Scott says his ability to hash out differences with constituents during the campaign helped, along with the fact that voters were familiar with him.  He says the contest told him that there is no need to change his approach.               

U-S Senator John Barrasso easily won his primary election last night and will face Albany County Commissioner Tim Chestnut in the upcoming general election.  One of the issues that will be debated will be the inability of Congress to work together.  But Barrasso says that’s been over stated.               

Join us for 2012 primary election coverage Tuesday night.  We will provide updates on our website, have on-air results of key raises at 8 pm, 9 pm and 10 pm and provide coverage on twitter.  We will use the hash tag #Wyvote.

Wyoming’s primary election is Tuesday/today and despite the fact that there is not a high-profile federal or statewide candidate on the ballot, the State elections Director predicts a solid turnout. 

Peggy Nighswonger  says there is interest in a different set of races this year.       

“I think there will be a lot of interest in the legislative races.  We have 15 legislative races where the incumbent is not going to be running. 

State Senator Charles Scott of Casper is facing a challenge from veteran Representative Bob Brechtel.  The two are competing in the Senate District 30 Republican Primary.

Three Wyoming Republicans are facing off in next week’s primary election to become the G-O-P nominee for Senate District 28 in Casper. 

Senator Kit Jennings is the incumbent and he is being challenged by Physician Tom Radosevich and retired businessman Jim Anderson.  Anderson favors local control in most instances, including economic development.  He wants the state to focus on helping what he calls Wyoming’s core industries.

Sen. John Barrasso faces two Republican opponents in next week’s primary election. One of them is Thomas Bleming of Lusk.

Bleming is a former soldier of fortune and says what most sets him apart from the incumbent is that he opposes the Patriot Act, which Barrasso voted for.

Bleming says to balance the federal government, he would make sweeping cuts.