CHEYENNE - The number of Wyoming voters casting absentee ballots in today's election is up slightly, but not markedly, over four years ago.

This wan growth suggests that Wyoming isn't following the trend toward early or absentee voting which has resulted in nearly one-quarter of Americans voting before election day, according to published reports.

"Wyoming doesn't really promote early voting, just absentee balloting, and it's the same thing," Sublette County Clerk Mary Langford said Monday.

Langford said early voting is convenient for many people, not only those who have gone to the sunny south before election day or otherwise will be out of town.

Wyoming residents don't need to give a reason for voting absentee, either by mail ballot or in person.

"You can take a ballot home and sit down with a cup of coffee and vote," Langford said.

For energy-booming Sublette County, 489 absentee ballots were out in the hands of voters. "That's not a huge amount for us," Langford said.

In the August primary election, only 175 absentee ballots were cast there.

Laramie County Clerk Debbye Lathrop said in-person absentee voting in the last week or two has been heavier than during the 2002 general election.

"We haven't quite hit the peak of what we did two years ago in the presidential election," she said.

As of late last week, about 4,000 people voted in person absentee in Laramie County. In addition, the office received about 4,000 absentee ballots that were mailed back.

County clerks merge the absentee votes with those from the polling places on Election Day in the final results reported to the secretary of state's office in Cheyenne.

Campbell County Clerk Susan Saunders said Monday that absentee voting is up in her county, both from the primary election last August and from the general election four years ago.

The county counted 2,000 absentee ballots recently, compared with 1,300 at the primary election. The 2,000 number is 300 more than the 1,700 absentee votes cast in the 2002 general election, when the governor and other four elected state offices were last on the ballot.

In addition to an increase in the voter registration ranks in Campbell County, people are finding that absentee voting is easier than going to the polls on election day, Saunders said.

Niobrara County Clerk Becky Freeman said absentee ballots for this year's general election total 160, compared with about 150 in 2002.

"That is a good number for us," Freeman said of the least populated of Wyoming's 23 counties.

Natrona County Clerk Mary Ann Collins said absentee balloting had been slow but picked up last week. She estimated about 3,500 absentee voters cast ballots so far.

"I think it will be the same for this type of election," Collins said, referring to the gubernatorial election four years ago.

Fremont County Clerk Julia Freese said absentee voting is up slightly.

"I think this past week we have surpassed what we had four years ago," Freese said.

As of 1 p.m. Monday, a total of 2,600 people requested absentee ballots in Fremont County. As of Saturday, 2,100 ballots had been returned.

Freese said the office was busy Monday with people voting absentee in person.

Sweetwater County Clerk Loretta "Bobbi" Bailiff said she couldn't say whether absentee voting is up from four years ago, but she added that it is down from the presidential election year two years ago.

"Wyoming typically has a really good turnout at the polls," Bailiff said.

Wyoming is one of 16 states that allow no-excuse in-person and by-mail absentee voting. By contrast, four states and the District of Columbia require an excuse for in-person absentee voting; 14 states do not allow early or in-person absentee voting at all; and one state, Oregon, allows voting solely by mail, according to electionline.org.

Capital bureau reporter Joan Barron can be reached at (307) 632-1244 or at joan.barron@casperstartribune.net.