6:52 p.m. — Laramie voters use buddy system to cast ballots For Jenny Priceman, Tuesday’s election made for a proud-parent moment when she took her teenage son to the Albany County Public Library, where he cast his first ballot.  “A lot of young people are not interested or engaged at all with what’s happening in the world, and so I think it’s good that you are,” Priceman said of her son, Aaron Haas.  “It wasn’t as scary as I thought it’d be,” Haas said, adding that he felt underwhelmed by the candidates.  “The Republican side felt like a lot of copies of the same person,” Haas said. “There wasn’t a whole lot that distinguished them for me, but there was usually one in each [race] that stood out.” The night before, Priceman and Haas sat down with a voter guide and made a plan. Both said affordability was a top concern. Haas added that he’s concerned about data centers and their water usage.  Kailei Fink and Lena Warren stand in front of the Albany County Public Library on Aug. 18, 2026. (Maggie Mullen/WyoFile) Kailei Fink and Lena Warren also made a plan to vote together at the public library.  “I think it helps if you have someone to go with, someone to encourage you to go,” Warren said A sign outside the building encouraged voters to go elsewhere due to a 30-minute wait, but the two women said it only took them about 20 minutes to get through the process.  That was despite one surprise.  “I thought I was a registered Republican, but I forgot to change it, so I’m unaffiliated,” Fink said. She’d been looking forward to voting for Rep. Steve Harshman because of his support of Wyoming’s public education system.  For governor, Warren said she cast her ballot for longtime lawmaker Eric Barlow.  “I think he’s been a good defender of our public lands,” she said.  Steve Lipscomb, meanwhile, said Superintendent Megan Degenfelder was his pick for governor.  “She seems to have her act together,” he said. — Maggie Mullen 6:24 p.m. — In Pinedale, voters share their research strategies and preferred candidates in Wyoming’s primary PINEDALE— Brett Baker showed up at the Sublette BOCES building to vote on Tuesday afternoon feeling confident about the local candidates whose boxes he’d be checking minutes later.  But the longtime local resident was admittedly less familiar with statewide office and congressional candidates. And so leaning up against his vintage “sexy” Chevy K10 pickup truck, he scrolled through his phone to educate himself about who should get his vote.   Before going to vote at the Pinedale polling station, Brett Baker researched on his phone about statewide and Congressional candidates running in Wyoming’s primary election on Aug. 18, 2026. (Mike Koshmrl/WyoFile) “We’re just looking up the governor [candidates], trying to do some research,” Baker told WyoFile.  Who did Baker turn to, to study up? “AI, Google,” he admitted with a laugh.  One thing Baker was sure of is that he was skeptical of much of the campaign material that the algorithms were forcing upon him.  “What do you believe, what do you not believe?” he said. “It seems like Chuck Gray and Steve Friess are pretty much non-locals — they were born somewhere else.”  He was “still feeling it out” regarding which Republican candidate he’d choose for the open U.S. House seat moments later.  Others he’d decided: Megan Degenfelder for governor, who he was attracted to because of President Donald Trump’s endorsement.  Dawn Mitchell, a 42-year Pinedale resident, emerged from the polling station moments later happy to share details on what drove her decisions and whose boxes she checked.  Dawn Mitchell, a 42-year Pinedale resident, poses for a photo after voting in Wyoming’s primary election on Aug. 18, 2026. (Mike Koshmrl/WyoFile) “I’m all for ‘drain the swamp,’” Mitchell said. “Love Hageman. She’s a very strong woman, and I feel like she represents Wyoming and what our state stands for.”  The former speaker of the Wyoming House, Albert Sommers, also earned her vote in his bid to reacquire his old seat. And so did Eric Barlow, a state senator who’s running for governor.  “I went with Barlow, because I’m like, ‘Hey, that’s a local name,’” she said. “Honestly, that’s how much homework I did.”  Pinedale resident Riley Bowman didn’t want to divulge who’d earned his votes. But he gave some hints in at least one race: who should replace U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis.  “I can say who I didn’t vote for is Hageman,” Bowman said.  Meanwhile, Kimberly Wight, 18, left statewide and congressional candidates boxes on her ballot unchecked. The whole ordeal was novel for Wight, a first-time voter, and she was just unsure what they were about, although that wasn’t the case for the local races.  “I voted for a sheriff,” Wight said. “I was pretty confident with county commissioner.”  Kelly Bernard, a Pinedale hair stylist, poses for a photo after voting in Wyoming’s primary election on Aug. 18, 2026. (Mike Koshmrl/WyoFile) Kelly Bernard, a local hair stylist, emerged from the Sublette polling place openly frustrated with herself. She’d forgotten to update her voter registration to Republican before the May 15 deadline and learned the hard way that she wouldn’t get to vote for candidates her roommate was steering her towards.  “I messed up,” she said.  Bernard wasn’t happy with the Wyoming regulation that prevented her from switching parties the day of the primary election.  “That sucks, because I don’t want to be labeled as one or the other,” she said. “It should be easy to show up and vote for who you want.” — Mike Koshmrl 5:06 p.m. — Gillette voters focus on preserving conservatism, resource management Cowboy hats, boots, friendly smiles, a cold treat from a food truck on standby and old friends shaking hands in the shadow of the Cam-Plex Wyoming Center in Gillette — it could have been a festival given the traffic and upbeat mood. But it wasn’t a festival that attracted Campbell County residents; it was a desire to fulfill their civic duty and have a say regarding who appears on the ballot in November. While their individual reasons for voting varied, for some, it was about preserving conservatism in government, re-establishing “rationality,” preserving Wyoming values and resource management.  For Family Life Pastor Marty Crump, a lifelong resident of Wyoming, the push to regain conservative control of the Wyoming Legislature motivated his vote in Tuesday’s primary.  “I think it will help change some bad laws, get some things lined up, get our finances, hopefully, in line, and protect our children,” Crump said. For him, the Wyoming Senate has drifted from conservatism.  “Things have been done in the past, budget-wise, and things are not getting taken care of,” Crump said. “The conservatives we have now are trying to right that ship a bit, but it’s been years of what I would call progressive ideas and thoughts, even in the Republican Party, that have made it hard for us to stay conservative.”  Generally, Crump said that while Wyoming is not headed in a good direction now, he felt that trend could change depending on who gets into office.  “I think right now, we’re teetering in the wrong way. So many people are moving in — some have conservative values, and a lot of people don’t,” he said. “I’m concerned about the direction we’re going to go in the years to come. But I am still optimistic because the Lord’s in control.” Voters make their way to the polls Tuesday, Aug. 18, at the Cam-Plex Wyoming Center in Gillette. (Ryan Lewallen for WyoFile) Another voter, who asked not to be named due to his position as a city of Gillette employee, said he was motivated to vote by a desire to return to rationality.  “So much of the national discourse has been infected by nonsense, just utter nonsense,” the resident said, expressing his deep concerns about the push to lower property taxes, which he felt was an inept solution in search of a problem. He said the state of Wyoming has some of the lowest property taxes in the country, and he has yet to hear anyone pushing for property tax reductions explain how they intend to fund state and local government if their revenues drop.  “Roads, waterlines, water service districts; that’s their only source of revenue,” he said. “And, I’m really concerned about that.” The resident said he was paying the most attention to the gubernatorial race, as well as the congressional contests. He was fairly optimistic about where Wyoming is heading and felt it was acceptable, though he remained gravely concerned about local governments losing the authority to determine their own taxes.  “I don’t think that’s right,” he said.  For Wendy Herman, a retired law enforcement dispatcher and a 40-year-old Campbell County resident, maintaining Wyoming values, specifically honesty and integrity, was what drove her and others to the polls. She was focused on the Campbell County Commission races.  “It’s the commissioners being talked about the most, at least from what I’ve been hearing,” she said, noting that local election decisions impact the community more than federal and state elections.  Herman felt good about Wyoming’s future, and said she believed the state is moving in the right direction by bringing morals back into society and “paying more attention to what voters are wanting.” Shay Lundvall, a lifelong resident of Campbell County and mayor of Gillette, said that locally, people seem concerned about many things including ensuring the community has adequate resources.  He said he was very optimistic about Wyoming’s future, and felt the state is heading in the right direction.  “We’ve been at many different tables, or have been invited to them; coal industries are picking back up; we’re advocating for and are selling the state in ways that, probably, have never happened before, or at least in a long time,” he said. “The communities across the state, I mean all of us, are really trying to find ways to grow our local sales tax base.” — Ryan Lewallen 4:07 p.m. — Protecting public education and public lands rank among Casper voters’ priorities In choosing candidates, integrity is his top measure, 63-year-old Casper resident Kenny Mayer told WyoFile. He’s particularly interested in the gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races. And in determining integrity, Mayer paid attention to candidates’ stances on public lands. He favored those who will “protect our public lands and not sell them out to big corporations.” An avid bowhunter and fisherman, Mayer spends a lot of time outdoors, and he worries about whether the state will enforce public access — including the ability to corner cross to public lands that are surrounded by privately owned surface. “They’re blocking access to hundreds of thousands of acres of public lands and not allowing access — it’s a strategy. Casper resident Kenny Mayer said access to public lands was among his top priorities for choosing 2026 primary election candidates. (Dustin Bleizeffer/WyoFile) “I’m a single father of three boys,” Mayer added, “and we’ve survived off the food I could bring home — whether it was fishing or hunting. And I’ve watched [public land access] just get harder and harder.” Sporting a badge at his hip and wrap-around sunglasses, Casper police officer Leonard Jacobs cast his ballot during the lunch hour in west Casper. “It’s a civic duty,” he said of voting. “It’s being involved in your community that we are all a part of.” He’s particularly interested in the races for superintendent of public instruction and the governor’s office. “I’m a big proponent of public schools and I think that education is the No. 1 thing we should be funding,” Jacobs said. “You have to start with education, and then from there you can have an informed base. You can have critical thinking. You can have an understanding of other people’s perspectives.” — Dustin Bleizeffer 3:53 p.m. — Some Casper voters seek anti-data center, ‘unapologetic’ Republican candidates Voter traffic picked up around noon at the Central Wyoming Fairgrounds on Casper’s west side, where residents from more than a dozen districts came to cast their ballots. Logan Moore of Casper voted in Tuesday’s primary election after skipping a couple of elections. (Dustin Bleizeffer/WyoFile) Among them, donning a black cowboy hat and dark sunglasses was Logan Moore, 25. He’d skipped voting in some past elections because he felt that candidates “were mostly in it for themselves,” he told WyoFile. But he’s a little more hopeful his vote will make a difference this time around. Without divulging any particular candidates, Moore said he voted for those who will help lift the state’s economy, crack down on immigration and support the Second Amendment. He’s also increasingly concerned about data centers and alarmed at the volume of land being annexed around Cheyenne for AI computing. He doesn’t want to see that happen in Casper. “I’m kind of passionate about it,” Moore said. “I’m tired of seeing those pop up everywhere.” Casper resident Rexine Collins, who sported a bright-red blazer, said her candidate choices — which she carefully researched — reflect her priority of “making sure we have very conservative, unapologetic Republicans in office.” She supports Congresswoman Harriet Hageman, who is running for the U.S. Senate, and Steve Friess to replace Hageman in the House. “I don’t believe he’s an elitist that, you know, should be banned just because he’s a successful businessman,” Collins said. “I voted for his dad [Foster Friess] way back when. It probably would have been a positive thing for Wyoming.” Foster Friess made an unsuccessful bid for the GOP gubernatorial nomination in 2018. Collins said she’s worried about prices being too high, but she’s most concerned about securing the border with Mexico and deporting “people that are here illegally.” “Wyoming’s been too full of illegals for a long time,” Collins said, “and many of our businesses, unfortunately, put up with it.” — Dustin Bleizeffer 3:36 p.m. — Public lands, public safety top of mind for Albany County voters There are too many Democrats in Laramie.  That was a top concern for one woman who cast her ballot Tuesday at the Lincoln Community Center in Laramie.  “I think we need to make some changes,” said the woman, who asked to remain anonymous but called herself “a huge Republican.”  She was also concerned about the nearby Snowy Range Mountains, where she said she’s regularly hiked and taken her dogs over the decades for “peace and quiet.”  “All you can hear is side by sides, and RZRs, and four wheelers flying by,” she said. “I’m sick of it.” Another woman who asked not to be identified, had her own take on the election as a registered Democrat.  “Mainly I think I would want to vote out the Freedom Caucus,” she said when asked if there were any particular candidates she was excited about.  “It doesn’t seem like — I mean, no matter which side of the political spectrum you fall on — they have Wyoming’s best interests at heart,” she said.  David Koch, who brought his adolescent son with him to the polls, said his main concern this election was general public safety, while Michelle Wescheler, a biologist, said access to public lands was front of mind.  “When we go out and survey, like just this summer, I was looking for aquatic snails for a Game and Fish project,” Wescheler said. “And unless we get explicit permission, we have to go on public lands to do all of that work. So if we didn’t have that access, then we wouldn’t be able to do the work.” Michelle Wescheler is pictured at the Lincoln Community Center in Laramie on Aug.18, 2026. (Maggie Mullen/WyoFile) Another voter who asked not to be identified said police issues and immigration were his top concern. “A lot of horror stories down in San Antonio where my family is, so I’m hoping we don’t have to deal with the same thing up here,” he said.  As for who he’ll be voting for, he said an organizer friend of his “hit me up with a cheat sheet, so I’m gonna go down the line.” — Maggie Mullen 3:30 p.m. — Voters on political ideology, problem solving 3:08 p.m. — Trump gives final push to his endorsee Degenfelder in Wyoming governor’s race The official Team Trump account on X posted Tuesday afternoon calling on Wyoming voters to support Megan Degenfelder in the Republican primary for governor.   “Megan Degenfelder is asking for your vote Wyoming! Vote TODAY for Megan! She’s Trump-endorsed and will make a GREAT governor! Polls are open until 7 PM!” the post read, paired with a video from Degenfelder’s own X account.   The official Team Trump account posted on X on Aug. 18, 2026, urging Wyoming voters to support Megan Degenfelder for governor. (Team Trump/X) Team Trump is the official social media account of President Donald Trump’s political operation. It functions as a campaign messaging channel that regularly promotes Trump-endorsed candidates, shares get-out-the-vote appeals and amplifies MAGA-aligned messaging.   Degenfelder, Wyoming’s current superintendent of public instruction, is running in a crowded four-way Republican primary for the open governor’s seat. Her opponents are state Sen. Eric Barlow, retired Marine Col. Brent Bien and Curt Blake. Trump endorsed Degenfelder early — before she formally announced — and has repeatedly called her “MAGA Megan.” She also carries the endorsement of U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman.   Degenfelder’s campaign has leaned heavily on the Trump endorsement as a way to consolidate support among the party’s more conservative and MAGA-leaning voters.   While Trump has endorsed Degenfelder and Hageman, he’s remained notably silent on Wyoming’s U.S. House race, even though the front-runners have touted their MAGA bona fides. — Sarah Aziz Get the newsletter ✉️ 3:04 p.m. — DOJ monitoring Wyoming polls for ‘election security’ People vote on new voting machines during the 2026 Wyoming primary elections on Tuesday, Aug. 18, at the Cheyenne Kiwanis Community Center. (Dan Cepeda for Oil City News and WyoFile) The Department of Justice is working in coordination with U.S. Attorney for Wyoming Darin Smith to monitor primary election polls in the Equality State, according to press releases.  Two attorneys in the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division are observing voters in Laramie County, according to a release from the department. The department also deployed attorneys to watch polls in Florida, another state holding its primary election today.  These individuals are tasked with ensuring transparency, ballot security and federal law compliance, according to the department.  “Voters deserve absolute confidence that their ballots are secure and their voices are heard without interference,” Smith said in a separate press release. “We are working alongside local officials to ensure every lawful vote is protected.” — Katie Klingsporn 1:42 p.m. — Laramie County Sheriff’s Office, data centers at top of voters’ minds Laramie County Sheriff’s Office leadership and resource management tied to data centers were among issues at the top of voters’ minds as they cast their ballots at the Laramie County Community College a little before noon.  “The first one is for the sheriff’s department,” a young man wearing a purple ball cap said when asked what issues and races were most important to him this election cycle. The man, who asked to remain anonymous, referred to pending litigation against Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak related to his office’s immigration enforcement, one lawsuit brought by the Wyoming ACLU and another by a Colorado immigration law firm.  Kozak faces Republican Eric Norris, a sergeant with the Cheyenne Police Department, in the primary election and Democrat Robin Cozad in the general election. When asked who he would back to replace Kozak, the man said that it would be a “game-time decision.”  “Obviously the current sheriff has pending cases, but it’s like the devil you know versus the devil you don’t sometimes,” he said. “If it’s kind of rough right now, I mean, hey, I’m used to this rough, do I want to potentially risk it getting worse?”  Voters cast their ballots during the 2026 Wyoming primary election on Tuesday, Aug. 18, at LCCC in Cheyenne. (Dan Cepeda, Oil City News) Both the man and another voter, Carrie Pritchard, who came with her son to cast a ballot, listed data center water usage as another top concern.  “Our water table is getting low,” Pritchard said. “We don’t have enough water for the people, for our reservoirs and everything, and [data centers] use a lot of the water.”  Pritchard is also concerned about Wyoming’s national parks. She noted that Wyoming’s congressional senators, John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis, voted to allow selling federal land. “I’m not happy about that,” Pritchard said.  Another voter, LuAnn Riley, had broader concerns about “freedoms.”  “I don’t want any gun control,” Riley said. She added that she was particularly interested in the governor’s race, but generally would vote for people who are “against the woke agenda.” — Maya Shimizu Harris 12:16 p.m. — GOP’s new endorsements playing a role A little after 10 a.m., a steady trickle of people walked into the polling place at the Kiwanis Community House in Lions Park, Cheyenne. The pathway into the building was lined with blooming sunflowers.  Jerry Ondrias brought along a copy of a July edition of the Wyoming Tribune Eagle with an article about the elections that he had marked with a pen. “It really helped me, because even with the governor and the Senate, I wouldn’t know who to vote for. But I’m a Republican, and it said that the Republican Party endorses these people. Let’s go with it.”  Wyoming GOP primary endorsements are new this election cycle. Historically, the party has backed whichever Republicans won in the primaries. Ondrias was motivated to come out and vote because he sees it as his opportunity to impact the future. “Well, I’m 73, and from grade school on, back then, you took a civics course, and in that course you were shown the different reasons to vote,” Ondrias said, adding that it’s a “highly, highly precious” privilege to be able to vote in the U.S. “That’s the only way to make a decision on what happens to your future.”  Election volunteers help voters insert their ballots into the counter during the 2026 Wyoming primary elections on Tuesday, Aug. 18, at the Cheyenne Kiwanis Community Center. (Dan Cepeda for Oil City News and WyoFile) Several people who walked past shared the same sentiment when asked about their motivations for coming out to vote.  “It’s our duty to do so,” one man said. “In fact, we run the country, theoretically.”  “Because we’re citizens, and that’s what citizens do,” one woman said.  “I mean this is our opportunity to have a say in what happens in our community,” another woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said.  She was particularly interested in the governor’s race. “I think that it’s important that we get somebody in place that understands what drives Wyoming. You know, we’ve got oil and gas and coal and all that, and we need somebody in place that understands that and can fight for us back in D.C. and make a difference for us.  “We have a voice,” she continued. “We’re a small state, and so a lot of times we just get passed over because we don’t have somebody in there that can really, you know, chirp and make a difference and make people sit up and listen to us.”  Katie Doertenbach came out to vote because her mom’s best friend, Connie Czarnecki, is running for county clerk. “So I’m gonna make sure to vote for her and a bunch of the six penny stuff,” she said, referring to a local tax measure. Doertenbach said she was more interested in local issues over statewide and congressional positions. — Maya Shimizu Harris 11:31 a.m. — Casper area voters list healthcare, education and ‘lesser of evils’ as motivation While many Casper-area voters listed healthcare and education as their top priorities in casting their ballots this morning, a handful of residents said their motivation was less specific. “I just vote for the lesser of evils — the ones I think might do the least damage,” a man, who didn’t want to give his name, said as he left the Evansville Community Center. “I think they’re all full of shit.”  After casting her ballot at Restoration Church on Casper’s east side, a woman told WyoFile, “I’m voting against the people I don’t want in there.” For Michael Broyles, 32, education was top of mind. As a band teacher at Kelly Walsh High School and a father of four young children, he’s concerned not only about funding cuts to education, but what he sees as politicians who don’t value public schools or the teaching profession in general. Casper resident and high school band teacher Michael Broyles. (Dustin Bleizeffer/WyoFile) “Lately, the Wyoming state government has made a lot of cuts to education and funding for various things through the Freedom Caucus,” Broyles told WyoFile after casting his ballot at Restoration Church. “So one of my biggest priorities as a voter today was to try to eliminate as many of those Freedom Caucus members as possible and try to get people in office that support educators and schools.” — Dustin Bleizeffer 11:27 a.m. — Video from Casper polling place 10:32 a.m. — In Albany County, an early rush By 6:45 a.m. Tuesday, poll workers at Albany County’s Harmony Elementary School had everything just about ready to go. Chief Judge Barbara Maselli was running a zero totals report on the lone voting machine at the vote center 20 miles southwest of Laramie, which slowly spit out a tab that snaked and piled up on the floor as long as a block party grocery receipt. “This shows zeroes on every precinct,” Maselli said. “Just to show there are no ballots counted yet to start the day.”  She signed the receipt and had another judge check and sign. By that time, there were voters at the door. Rep. Ocean Andrew, R-Laramie, votes during the primary election on Aug. 18, 2026, at Harmony Elementary School in Harmony. (Ryan Dorgan/WyoFile) “It’s 7 o’clock. Come on in,” Michael Vasallo, an election official, called from his seat.  Rep. Ocean Andrew, R-Laramie, was the first in line to cast his ballot at the vote center. Seven others had voted within the first 20 minutes of the opening bell. Poll workers at the Albany County Public Library had tallied exactly 100 votes by 8:45 a.m., not counting Ruth Sommerfield, who at 6 months old joined her father for her first election. Six-month-old Ruth Sommerfield joins her dad, Chris, during the primary election on Aug. 18, 2026, at the Albany County Public Library in Laramie. (Ryan Dorgan/WyoFile) — Ryan Dorgan 9:58 a.m. — Local issues weigh heavy as Fremont County voters begin casting ballots Local issues weighed heavily on the minds of Fremont County voters during the first hour of voting.  “The main thing that brought me out was the three-quarter percent tax,” said Danny Kness, who was casting his ballot at the Bob Carey Memorial Fieldhouse in Lander. The local measure asks voters to decide on a sales and use tax that would raise revenue for ambulance systems, commercial air service and public ground transit for four years.  Kness opposes the measure. Taxpayer dollars should not fund private business, he said.  The measure was also significant to Kirsten Brown, but in a different way; it was one of the main things she wanted to vote yes on. Brown sees the measure as a way to “support and help out our neighbors.”  Kristen Brown and her son, Cade, have a tradition of going to the polls together on Election Day even though he’s not old enough to vote. His sticker says “future voter.” Here they pose outside the Bob Carey Memorial Fieldhouse in Lander on Aug. 18, 2026. (Katie Klingsporn/WyoFile) Brown was accompanied by her son, Cade, who is still a few years away from voting age. He always joins his mom in what has become a tradition — one she hopes will instill civic engagement in her son.  Mandy Fabel was also at the polls early. She believes every 2026 race is as important as the next, “from mayor to Congress,” she said. This primary election is particularly transformational since so many seats are up for grabs, she noted, adding that, “in Wyoming one vote matters a whole lot.” — Katie Klingsporn 8:35 a.m. — Voters begin casting ballots as polls open Polls opened at 7 a.m. across Wyoming for the 2026 Primary Election. In Jackson, voters started filing into the Teton County/Jackson Rec Center to cast their ballots as soon as the polling station began accepting voters. Asked what was top of mind for her, Laurie Jenkins, one of the first at the polling station, said “public lands.” Volunteer election judge Karen Jerger places a sign outside a polling station in Jackson on Aug. 18, 2026 as voting across Wyoming began at 7 a.m. (Angus M. Thuermer Jr./WyoFile) “They’re foundational to everything I have worked for and believe in,” the former National Park Service employee said. She had 40 years of experience with the agency before she left her post. Bob Ablondi, an engineer, said he voted in the Republican primary. The contests for governor and U.S. Senate were the most important races to him. “Getting rid of crazy people in government” was his mantra. “I don’t like the idea of cutting taxes and other Freedom Caucus ideas,” he said. “We need taxes to run the government.” — Angus M. Thuermer Jr. 4:30 a.m. — The consequences of today’s election Wondering how much is at stake in today’s election? By the end of the night, Wyomingites may have a pretty good idea who their next governor, secretary of state, schools superintendent, U.S. Senator and U.S. representative will be. Republicans so dominate Wyoming politics that whoever wins today will be the overwhelming favorite in November. (In 2018, for example, the AP called the governor’s race for then-candidate Mark Gordon minutes after the polls closed.) Tonight could also decide who will control the statehouse for the next two years. Right now, the hard-line Wyoming Freedom Caucus controls the House, but a more traditional (or more moderate, depending on how you look at it) faction of the GOP controls the Senate. During this year’s legislative session, the Senate defeated many of the House’s more aggressive budget cuts to the University of Wyoming and the Wyoming Business Council. So today’s primary could have a huge influence on how those institutions and others fare financially over the next few years. — Joshua Wolfson 4:25 a.m. — Need some last-minute voting info? Check out WyoFile’s election guide. Primary day is finally here, and if you’re still trying to decide who to vote for, we can help. WyoFile’s election guide features biographical information and answers from dozens of candidates, from the governor’s office to statehouse races. Polls will be open until 7 p.m. Not sure where to vote? The Wyoming Secretary of State’s poll locator can help. — Joshua Wolfson The post Wyoming’s primary election live: Laramie voters use buddy system to cast ballots appeared first on WyoFile . ...read more read less