Media Contact

Janna Farley, jfarley@aclu.org

October 12, 2022

To reduce long lines on Election Day that may discourage people from exercising their right to vote, the ACLU of Wyoming urges county clerks across the state to continue the use of absentee ballot drop boxes, despite Interim Secretary of State Karl Allred’s recent request to remove them.

The following statement can be attributed to Antonio Serrano, ACLU of Wyoming’s advocacy director:

“Absentee voting is a safe, secure and effective way for Wyomingites to vote.                

“Drop boxes have proven to be an accessible, secure and easy way for voters across the country and here in Wyoming to cast their ballots, and they have been widely used by people of all backgrounds and political affiliations without issue. Discontinuing the use of absentee ballot drop boxes now would create disruption for voters and would result in even greater disenfranchisement of eligible voters in our state.

“Absentee ballot drop boxes in convenient places allow voters to securely cast their ballots at a time of their convenience – especially important for rural voters who have to travel long distances to vote. Our elected officials should be doing everything they can to encourage people to vote – not trying to suppress people’s ability to vote.”

Ahead of the November election, the ACLU of Wyoming is educating voters about their voting rights with a variety of resources, including a print-on-demand flyer in English and Spanish, on its website.

About the ACLU of Wyoming

The American Civil Liberties Union of Wyoming is a non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of civil liberties and civil rights. The ACLU of Wyoming is part of a three-state chapter that also includes North Dakota and South Dakota. The team in Wyoming is supported by staff in those states.

The ACLU believes freedoms of press, speech, assembly, and religion, and the rights to due process, equal protection and privacy, are fundamental to a free people.  In addition, the ACLU seeks to advance constitutional protections for groups traditionally denied their rights, including people of color, women, and the LGBTQ communities. The ACLU of Wyoming carries out its work through selective litigation, lobbying at the state and local level, and through public education and awareness of what the Bill of Rights means for the people of Wyoming.

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