22-29-116. Procedures for mail ballot elections.

(a) Mail ballot elections shall be overseen by the county clerk as provided in W.S. 22-29-113(m). Official ballots shall be prepared and all other preelection procedures followed as otherwise provided by law or rules promulgated by the secretary of state, except that mail ballot packets shall be prepared in accordance with the following:

(i) No later than forty-five (45) days prior to election day, the secretary of the special district shall request from the county clerk of each county in which the special district is located a list of qualified electors residing within the affected district;

(ii) No later than thirty (30) days prior to election day, the county clerk of each county in which a special district is located shall certify and submit to the election official a list of qualified electors residing within the affected district;

(iii) No sooner than twenty-five (25) days and no later than fifteen (15) days before an election, the election official shall mail to each landowner who has filed a written authorization and request for a mail ballot and to each qualified elector entitled to vote in the mail ballot election, at the last address appearing in the registration records a mail ballot packet, which shall be marked "DO NOT FORWARD-ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED," or any other similar statement which is in accordance with United States postal service regulations;

(iv) The ballot shall contain the following warning:

WARNING

The criminal laws regulating the conduct of elections contained in chapter 26 of the Wyoming Election Code of 1973, as amended apply with equal force to elections conducted by mail.

(v) No sooner than twenty-five (25) days and no later than 4:00 p.m. on election day, mail ballots shall be made available at the election official's office for voters entitled to vote in the election but who are not otherwise listed on the county voter registration records if otherwise authorized to vote;

(vi) A voter may obtain a replacement ballot if the ballot was destroyed, spoiled, lost, or for some other reason not received by the voter. In order to obtain a replacement ballot, the voter must sign a sworn statement specifying the reason for requesting the replacement ballot. The statement shall be presented to the election official no later than 4:00 p.m. on election day. The election official shall keep a record of each replacement ballot issued in accordance with this section together with a list of each ballot obtained pursuant to this section. An election official shall not transmit a mail ballot package under this section unless the application for the replacement ballot is received on or before election day. A replacement ballot may be transmitted directly to the applicant at the election official's office or may be mailed to the voter at the address provided in the application. Replacement ballots may be cast no later than 5:00 p.m. on election day;

(vii) Upon receipt of a ballot, the voter shall mark the ballot, sign and complete the return-verification envelope, and comply with the instructions provided with the ballot. The voter may return the marked ballot to the election official by United States mail or by depositing the ballot at the office of the official or any place designated by the official. The ballot must be returned in the return-verification envelope. The ballot shall be received at the office of the election official or the designated depository no later than 5:00 p.m. on election day;

(viii) Once the ballot is returned, an election official shall first qualify the submitted ballot by examining the verification envelope and comparing the information on the envelope to the poll list to determine whether the ballot was submitted by a voter who has not previously voted in the election. If the ballot so qualifies, and is otherwise valid, the official shall enter the name of the registered voter in the poll book, open the return-verification envelope, remove the ballot stub, and deposit the ballot in an official ballot box;

(ix) All deposited ballots shall be counted as provided in this act and by rules promulgated by the secretary of state. A mail ballot shall be valid and counted only if it is returned in the return-verification envelope, the affidavit on the envelope is signed and completed by the voter to whom the ballot was issued and the information on the envelope is verified in accordance with paragraph (viii) of this subsection. If the election official determines that a voter to whom a replacement ballot has been issued has voted more than once, the official shall not count any ballot cast by that voter.

(b) The election official responsible for conducting the election shall provide a minimum of one (1) polling place on the day of election which may be the election official's office or the county clerk's office and shall be open for not less than five (5) consecutive hours at any time between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. as set forth in the notice of election.