Gail Symons, President of Civics 307, called into the Weekday Wake-Up on Monday, May 4 to discuss the WyVote.vote initiative, which is a non-partisan effort to encourage political engagement and voter turnout in Wyoming.

(0:01) 8.45 is our time this morning on SVI Radio, Swift 98 and The Spur heading into our next (0:07) guest interview segment this morning, and Gail Simmons is on the air with me today. (0:11) She’s the president of Civics 307, talking about the Why Vote initiative for this election (0:18) year. (0:18) Gail, good morning.

(0:19) How are you today? (0:21) I’m great. (0:22) Thank you. (0:23) I appreciate your time today.

(0:24) You know, I came across the Why Vote initiative on social media and wanted to reach out. (0:28) So let’s start with Civics 307, the group that you’re the president of. (0:33) Tell us about Civics 307, how it started, and what the goal of this group is.

(0:38) Super. (0:39) So Civics 307 is a 501c3 organization. (0:44) It is a nonpartisan, basically voter information, and the goal is that all eligible Wyoming (1:00) voters are informed citizens in each election.

(1:05) So the Civics 307 initially started as I was observing the legislature, starting in 2016, (1:14) and by 2017, I realized I couldn’t follow all the legislation. (1:20) There was too many moving parts, and the reports that I got were just what happened the prior (1:24) day, and then I would miss out on things that, for example, went to a committee two days (1:30) ago, and I lost sight of them. (1:32) So that became the Civics 307, and I continue to keep a legislation tracker to make it easier (1:41) to follow what’s going on with each piece of legislation.

(1:46) That went for several years, and then I got interested in why is it that our participation (1:55) is so low. (1:56) When we started asking, it really came to two reasons. (2:01) Either people felt like their vote didn’t count, and I think when they do that, they’re (2:07) looking at the presidential only, which, I mean, shocked folks, but that’s the least (2:12) important vote as far as your daily life is the presidential.

(2:18) There’s way more important on the ballot. (2:20) Or they would say, I used to vote, but I didn’t know the people that were on the ballot. (2:26) I was afraid that I would make the wrong choices.

(2:30) That led me to WhyVote, which is a separate site, whyvote.vote, and that is a one-stop (2:38) shop for information you need about getting registered and how elections work and voting. (2:46) That has, you can actually scroll down to the state, and you can click on Lincoln County, (2:52) for example, and it takes you to a site or a page where we already have all of the offices (3:01) that will show up on a ballot anywhere in the next election, which is primary, and then (3:07) once the filing period is over, we will have all the names of the people who filed for (3:13) those offices, then we will invite them to complete a profile. (3:17) If they do so, we will link that, and you can go directly.

(3:23) So, for example, for Lincoln County voters, they can go to that site, and as they’re (3:28) trying to figure out what do they want to do, they can see what are the offices, they (3:33) can link and find out what the responsibilities of those offices are, who’s running, and (3:38) it’ll show what their affiliation is, and if they complete, then they can find information (3:42) about that. (3:43) So, those are the baseline where we started, and this year, we decided we need to not just (3:50) provide information. (3:52) We need to be more proactive on letting people know that they need to register and vote.

(3:59) It really makes a difference. (4:01) That’s where you will see that 27% number, which is of the total number of eligible (4:09) Wyoming citizens, in 2024 August, only 27% actually voted. (4:18) And in some counties, like Lincoln, and I’m from Sheridan, in Sheridan County, 100% of (4:25) the legislative races, for example, were determined in the Republican primary, so this is pretty (4:34) essential that people understand why it’s critical that they register and vote, for (4:41) their own benefit.

(4:44) This is such a great resource, Gail. (4:45) As you were talking, I was scrolling through the website, whyvote.vote, and yeah, the state (4:51) information, the county information, such a great resource, and especially as we start (4:56) heading into the primary election here in just a matter of months now, it’s worth reminding (5:01) people about that new deadline when it comes to party affiliation, which is coming right (5:05) up, right? (5:07) Exactly. (5:08) So, and I’m presuming that most of your listeners are in Lincoln, so I have others as well.

(5:14) Right now, there are just over 11,000 registered voters in Lincoln County. (5:20) That was as of January 2026. (5:22) So, of that 11,000, 99,000, a little over 9,000 are Republican.

(5:30) Almost 1,000 are unaffiliated, so 10% of the registered voters in Lincoln County are unaffiliated. (5:41) Now, why is that critical? (5:43) Because when they go to get a ballot in August, where most of the final results are determined, (5:54) if they live inside an incorporated town, then all they will get on their ballot is (6:03) town council, and if you have the particular form, then mayor. (6:07) That’s it.

(6:09) If they live in the county, if they live outside that, it’s blank. (6:13) There may not even be a, what they call nonpartisan. (6:17) If you are not a Democrat or a Republican, your voting is nonpartisan, and that’s just (6:25) a result of the way in which we keep data.

(6:29) So, those 1,000 people, 966 unaffiliated and another 360 minor party, they’re not going (6:41) to be participating in August on what is essentially the most critical race election. (6:51) That means they are not voting. (6:53) They’re not voting for U.S. Senator.

(6:56) They’re not voting for U.S. Congress. (6:59) They’re not voting for the top five, for Governor, Secretary of State, Superintendent of Public (7:05) Instruction. (7:06) They’re not voting for, I don’t know if there’s a Senate race up, I don’t think so, but they’re (7:14) not voting for their Wyoming House.

(7:17) They’re not voting for the eight offices in the county, County Commissioner, Treasurer, (7:24) or Clerk. (7:25) If you don’t have a partisan ballot, then you’re not participating in that election. (7:33) So, you have, for those 1,000 unaffiliated and, what did I say, 360 minor party, you (7:44) have until the 13th to go down and change.

(7:48) This is important that people know that. (7:51) Gail Simmons with Civics 307 and whyvote.vote is the website with all the resources and (7:58) information, state and county races and details. (8:02) Gail, this is great information.

(8:03) Really appreciate you joining us today. (8:05) Any final comments that you’d like to mention today about whyvote.vote? (8:10) Well, just one. (8:12) We are, as a part of WhyVote 2026, we are trying to stand up nonpartisan groups in each (8:20) county whose only attention is on a nonpartisan way.

(8:27) We want to get to the people who aren’t registered, which is about 50% of Wyoming citizens, and (8:34) those that are on why it is important that they get registered and they actually vote. (8:39) We will be setting up information booths at events, and I would like very much, if there (8:45) are people in Lincoln County interested in doing that, if you go to WhyVote, there is (8:49) a button there to participate. (8:53) Let us know who you are and that you’re interested in this nonpartisan effort, and we will provide (9:00) you all of the resources that you need.

(9:03) You just need to help us recruit people, so this is your opportunity to get involved. (9:09) Excellent. (9:09) Gail Simmons, president of Civics 307, and again, you can learn more at whyvote.vote. (9:14) By the way, it’s W-Y as in Wyoming, whyvote.vote, and you can learn more about this opportunity (9:22) here.

(9:22) Gail Simmons, president of Civics 307. (9:25) Gail, thank you so much for your time. (9:26) I’m sure we’ll talk again down the road.

(9:28) Great. (9:28) Thank you. (9:29) Have a good day.

(9:30) You as well. (9:30) It’s all part of the weekday wakeup this morning on SVI Radio.